


It's Either Magic or Disaster

by bluetoast



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Is Alive, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Getting to Know Each Other, Just Married, M/M, Mentions of Cancer, Reality TV, Rey Needs A Hug, Severe weather, Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Tornadoes, ben needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:49:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 57,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22964923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetoast/pseuds/bluetoast
Summary: Rey Imwe-Malbus didn't expect to get picked to be on Married at First Sight. She didn't think she'd make it past the first round. Ben Solo auditioned as a dare; and he certainly didn't think he'd actually have to be on said show. It might not be the worst thing on television these days - and maybe the fact the network cut out fancy weddings this year is a red flag. Maybe.Regardless - Rey and Ben are married to each other for the next eight weeks; when it's over, they can either stay married, or get divorced.Reuploaded - original title: Something Sort of Grandish
Relationships: Chirrut Îmwe/Baze Malbus, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 55
Kudos: 99
Collections: Ijustfellintothissendhelp





	1. Chapter 1

Rey still had no idea how she managed to finagle the vacation time for this. Oh wait, she did – it came from years of working most holidays and never asking for two entire weeks off in her five years of working as a pilot for FedEx out of Memphis International – ever. _Married at First Sight_ wasn't the worst reality show ever created, although given the other programs on the same channel, it was borderline respectable compared to the self-righteous family who had been outed in the tabloids for hiding abuse and who knew what else. She wouldn't admit openly watching the show with the child beauty queens – she found it amusing to watch pageant mothers suffer.

The show had a simple concept, at least, in description: couples were put together by a panel of experts, and they married on the day they met, and sent off on a honeymoon the next day. The couples would stay married for a total of eight weeks. Once the time passed, the couples had a choice – stay married or get divorced. There wasn't any sort of grand prize, unless you took into account the network paying for the wedding related stuff, including the honeymoon. There were also vouchers given for moving costs, though in her case, she didn't need it. Nearly everyone she worked with either owned a pickup truck or an SUV.

She'd trade her vouchers for gift certificates to feed said coworkers instead if the need arose.

She pulled off her heels, wincing. “I think these shrank in the back of my closet between now and the last time I wore them.” she glanced over at her husband of exactly one hour and thirty minutes as he came out of the bathroom, looking decidedly more calm than when they came upstairs to the hotel room. “You okay Ben?”

“Yeah.” He slumped down onto the other side of the bed. “I don't know who they were, but if the person wearing too much Axe body spray stayed with the person not wearing deodorant, they'd have canceled each other out and ended all of our suffering.” he gave her a lopsided smile. “I'm sort of glad they cut out all the formal wedding stuff this season.”

“I'll agree with you there. I'm guessing if you want the pomp and circumstance, it's not on the network's dime.” She chuckled, “It didn't help one of the other women in this season doused herself in some kind of perfume... I don't...”

“It was a faux Chanel.” He untied his shoes, grimacing. “The real stuff doesn't make your eyes sting, and no one who can afford it applies it so liberally, or knows better than do so.”

Rey snickered, pulling off her thigh-high socks. “Know a lot of women who use it?” she wiggled her toes, letting some of the tension seep out of her.

“My mother and a few of her friends.” He shrugged, “you hungry? I know they had an impressive spread in the green rooms before all the ceremonies, but I couldn't eat. I knew I'd never keep it down.” He worried his bottom lip, a slight bit of color coming to his cheeks. “You up for ordering a small feast from room service and getting to know one another?”

She reached over on the bedside table and opened the drawer, pulling out the bound menu from inside. “You should know right now I will never tire on the subject of food.” She frowned, “although I'm not the best cook, I mean, not in the 'I burn water' sort of bad, but the most complex thing I can do is add tomatoes to a pre-made salad mix.” she made a face. “I also make a pretty mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

“Do you?” Ben chuckled, standing and going over to his bag. “That's actually my favorite kind. Unless I'm in Maine and there's lobster rolls at every other place to eat.”

“I'll take your word for it, I've never visited Maine, or anywhere on the east coast, unless changing planes in various airports counts. Or spending a night there because of flight delays.” She folded her legs and set the menu in her lap. “You go often?”

“Once a year I retreat to an island up there. Quaint little town with no cars and it's a miracle they aren't on dial-up internet. Perfectly wonderful to escape the chaos and hear myself think for a week.” He dug a t-shirt and sweats from his bag. “What looks good?”

Rey scanned the menu as she heard him go into the bathroom. “Most of it, trouble when you're hungry.” She left the book lying on the bed and went over to her own bag. “I'm actually a little surprised the show's sending us on a honeymoon. Pretty much every other show on the network there's some sort of contest you have to win first.” she frowned. “All the couples don't go somewhere together, do they?”

“No, thank god.” Ben came back into the room, mussing his hair. “I think since we volunteered to go first, we might have gotten the best trip of the three. Comparing the past seasons, I think the budget for this show must have gotten cut in half.” He sat down on the bed, pulling the menu towards him. “New Orleans in April, so it's not wretchedly hot yet, and the Mardi Gras nonsense is long over.” A small, playful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “We'll walk off everything we eat.”

“Yeah.” She picked up her change of clothes, “When do you usually visit Maine?”

“October.” He let out a breath, “after most of the tourists leave and the trees are a riot of color.” His smile warmed and he reached over, squeezing the tips of her fingers. “Should... should this whole thing work out, do you think your job will let you have the time off?”

Rey returned the squeeze before heading to the bath. “It'll take some maneuvering.” She went into the bath, “but I may work it out. Though it might mean working a lousy shift or two.” She unzipped her dress, letting the garment fall at her feet. “Burger and fries for dinner?”

“Sounds great – milkshake?” He answered, “and what do you want for dessert?”

“Chocolate, and the ultimate brownie.” She took off her bra and pulled the t-shirt on. “Do you live in Memphis or in the suburbs?” She tugged on her sweats and picked up her discarded clothes. “I better wash my face before I forget. I don't usually wear makeup.”

“I live about six blocks from here, in a loft on Riverside.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I work from home most of the time.” He picked up the phone. “When I don't have to travel somewhere for said job.”

Rey chuckled, going to retrieve her toiletry bag and leave her formal clothing behind. “Sounds nice.” She returned to the bathroom. There were plenty of jobs he could have working from home. Ben didn't strike her as the software kind of guy – and working from home left out plenty of other careers. She turned the water on and started to clean the stupid amount of makeup she'd had put on her face by a professional. She doubted she would have forgotten about washing it off; the gunk felt caked on and simply removing it felt like she'd dropped five pounds.

“Yes, room seventeen A. Thank you.” She heard Ben say before he hung up the phone and a moment later, she saw him leaning against the door-frame in the mirror. “Lady said dinner will take about twenty minutes.” he folded his arms. “So where do you live?”

“In a studio on Chelsea, and I hate my commute.” She grabbed one of the hand towels. “Sometimes I think all I do there is sleep and take a shower.” She made a face. “My rent is probably the same as the cost of a parking spot where you live.”

His ears went slightly pink and he ran a hand through his hair. “Touche.” He let out a breath. “Pets?”

“No.” She turned the water off and started pulling pins from her complicated up-do. They may have kept all the weddings on this season insanely private; they might as well label this season 'Married at First Sight in Secret' at this point. But it didn't get anyone out of dressing up – she had a feeling a follow up show at the end of the run where, if a couple chose to stay together, the bride would appear on an 'extra special' episode of 'Say Yes to the Dress.' “My lease won't allow it, I work odd hours, and I'm allergic to cats. You?”

“Nope. Except a few houseplants.” He snickered, “which my father continually asks if I've killed yet. Mainly due to a project I did in high school about the effect of music on the growth of seeds.” He rubbed the back of his head, grinning. “ABBA wasn't what the plants wanted, it was The Who.”

She laughed, dropping a dozen pins on the counter. “Seriously?”

“I know, my teacher was dumbfounded. Maybe I should have tried using the original records instead of CDs.” He took a breath. “So what do you do for a living, with your terrible commute?”

Rey cleared her throat. “I'm a pilot for FedEx, trying to gain enough flying time to transfer to a commercial airline, either Frontier or Continental. Though flying cargo does have the appeal in that the packages don't complain about a little turbulence and I don't mind flying overnights.”

Ben's smile grew more certain. “Well, I'm eliminating Castaway as a choice from movie night from here on. And I've got no problem cooking all the meals.” They walked together out of the bath. “We can have breakfast for dinner, or dinner for breakfast whenever you want.”

She grinned, sitting down on the bed. “So how about you? What do you do working from home?”

He sat down beside her. “I'm an extras and locations casting agent.”

She thought for a moment. “Meaning what, exactly? I thought casting agents were people in California or New York.”

“Well, it's like...” he ran a hand through his hair, “say for example Christopher Nolan wanted to make a movie about the American Civil War, and do a lot of it on location in a state near where the events he's filming about took place. I'm the guy his people call to find and act as a go-between at historic sites, and find the director a ton of reenactors which saves the studio time in finding extras and costumes.”

Rey blinked at him. “You ever get cast in anything yourself?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “'Guy in line at Starbucks' in some Reese Witherspoon movie. I can't remember the title. Rom-coms have sort of merged into one long film in my head at this point.” He went pink. “The film industry's sort of an indirect cause of my addition to this year's cast list.”

“Huh? Someone blackmail you into auditioning for this show?” She wouldn't put it past all the producers of reality shows gathering in a disguised seminar to discuss and exchange ideas.

Ben took a deep breath. “I accepted a dare as a teenager and I sort of hoped the darer forgot about it. Back when the only reality TV was stuff like game-shows and the _Real World._ My friend Rose dared me to send in an application for one. You know, kids messing around.” If possible, his face went even pinker. “Anyway, I said I'd apply for a reality show when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.”

Rey couldn't cover her laugh, “Did she call immediately after Rizzo caught that ball at first base or did she wait until the next morning?”

“The next morning, while I was in line at Kroger, buying onions and chicken stock.” He coughed, patting his chest. “Anyway, the dare was only to apply to a show; getting on it is a bonus.”

“Let me guess, the people who picked this group recognized your name and basically put you through to the final rounds for shits and giggles.” She made a face. “Does your friend Rose owe you anything for getting on a show in addition to applying?”

“Twenty-dollar gift card to Dunkin' Donuts.” His expression changed and he snickered. “which I fully intend on collecting. Considering she works in New Orleans, we can do it together, if you like. She runs a food truck with her sister, and I never told her what show I applied to, only that I did.”

“I'm sure your friend thought your show of choice more along the lines of _America's Got Talent_ instead of marrying a total stranger.” She stretched her arms over her head, yawning. “Since I'm guessing you purposely avoided _American Idol._ ” she mussed her own hair, grimacing when her stomach rumbled. “What time is our flight tomorrow?”

“Eleven-fifteen, so we'll probably leave here by nine, with traffic and the joy of check-in.” He leaned forward on his knees, grimacing at an audible pop. “So when's your birthday?”

She fell back on the bed, noting he distinctly looked away from her – or rather, from her stomach where her shirt had ridden up, partially exposing her belly. “Two weeks ago, on the tenth – yours?”

“November nineteenth.” He gave her a smile as he sat up. “Happy belated birthday.”

“Thanks.” She rubbed her eyes and rolled over, grabbing her phone. “What do you think we should do in New Orleans? Besides freaking out your friend.” she chuckled. “I know they have an amazing aquarium and zoo...” she trailed off when she realized her feet had landed on his thigh. “uh...”

“You can keep your feet there, I don't mind.” he looked them over. “Ticklish?”

“No.” she let out a sigh as his hand settled over her ankles; he could almost hold both her feet in his one hand. “Well, that's birthdays, jobs and places of residence taken care of. What's next?”

Ben chuckled, rubbing her left ankle with his thumb. “What brought you to the show? Someone put you up to it too?”

She gave him a sheepish smile. “Would you believe I didn't actually think I'd get picked? I thought I'd get tossed out before the first round of applications.” she closed her eyes as he picked up her foot, slowly rubbing the bottom with both of his thumbs. “One of my coworkers said anyone can get on television, and I disagreed. It's hard to get on TV without making an ass of yourself.”

“Guess it explains how they put the two of us together.” He paused as she let out a hiss. “You okay?”

“Right there.” She coughed, a little of the tension seeping out of her and her phone fell from her hand. “Sore spot.”

“Spend all day in those heels, I'm not surprised.” He went back to massaging her foot. “Your family know you're on this show?”

She covered her eyes before answering. “I may as well get this out in the open. I have two dads. They were my foster parents starting when I was five and adopted me when I turned seven.” She let out a soft chuckle, “I mentioned auditioning, which led to the inevitable lecture of I didn't need to do such a thing.” She lowered her hand. “It's sort of the reason for the accent. English isn't either of their first languages, and their idea to make sure I was perfectly coherent was to watch lots of British television.”

“Seriously? That's adorable.” His switched feet, his smile widening. “So do you call one Papa and one Dad?”

“Yes.” She grinned. “Papa's blind and is the most optimistic person on the face of the planet, Dad's a bit of a grump at times, but he calls it realistic. Says someone has to keep their feet on the ground in the family.” Relief settled over her. More than one guy had broken up with her when they found out about the two dads thing. “How about your parents?”

“My parents...” he paused, his face falling slightly. “they live over in Raleigh, my mom works too much and my dad's retired, but doesn't stay at home often enough to tell her she's working too hard.” He let out a breath. “Usually it takes a disaster of some kind for her to stop. When disasters strike, work ceases to have any importance in my family. Though I don't think the two of us getting married qualifies.” He held up her right foot up by the big toe. “You have any tattoos besides this daisy chain around your ankle?”

She grinned as he put her foot down. “That's for me to know and you to find out. You?”

He quirked an eyebrow at her before letting out a chuckle. “No – I'm allergic to a dye used in the ink.” He fell back on the bed, stretching. “Odd question, but are you a Buddhist?”

Rey shrugged. “Sort of, it's the religion I was brought up in, but I haven't visited a temple to pray in forever. I usually only go around the Chinese New Year, or when I visit my dads and they go.” She frowned. “I take it you're either agnostic or some denomination of Christianity?”

“Jewish.” He answered, yawning. “Kind of.”

She fell back beside him, scooting so their heads were level – the guy was stupidly tall. “What does 'kind of' Jewish mean? You're either Jewish or you're not.”

“The same way you're sort of Buddhist.” He grinned. “I attend Temple on High Holy Days, and on any given Saturday before a major life event. So yes, I went last Saturday. I also don't adhere to most kosher requirements. But I do have a separate set of pots and pans strictly for kosher cooking.”

“I'm guessing by comparison, you visit your house of worship more than I do mine.” She stretched her arms over her head, studying her nails. “Don't let my dads know, but I'm not certain where the nearest temple is. I could pray at home, but I don't have a good place to put a shrine.” Her eyes shifted towards the blinking green light of the camera in the corner. “We get a say in editing, right?”

“Yup, it was in the contracts we signed, and they have to respect our privacy.” He mirrored her pose, “you want me to throw a blanket over Silent Sally?”

“Silent Sally? I thought it was Nosy Norbert.” She answered as her phone rang. “Oh, shit...” she grabbed it off the floor from where it had fallen from the bed and quickly answered. “Hi, Papa.”

“You haven't checked your messages, young lady.” Dad's voice came back, and she could picture both he and Papa at the kitchen table, the phone on speaker. “I left you seven messages, and you did not reply to any of them. We were worried.”

Rey glanced at Ben, pressing her finger against her lips as she turned on the speaker feature of her phone. “I had the television show, Dad. They didn't want us to contact anyone during filming.”

“No time to take a break?” Papa's voice tutted. “You should have sent a text while you were in the ladies, like you did in high school and people were unkind.”

Ben's eyebrows lifted and he grabbed the notepad lying on the bedside table, quickly scribbling down a note and turning the pad towards her – Did they forget what show you're on? __

“Dad, Papa – do you remember the name of the show?” She felt like crawling under the bed at this point.

“Midterms have just finished, _xiǎo hǔ,_ ” Dad softly admonished, “I know it is not a good excuse, but your Papa and I had a great deal of things to grade.” He cleared his throat, “but we're all busy, and you have not visited Denver since January.”

“I know, Dad.” She took a breath, glancing over a Ben busily scribbling on the notebook again. “I... um... the show's called _Married at First Sight_.”

“If this is a joke, young lady, it is not funny.” Papa said something in Cantonese she couldn't make out. “Of all the shows...”

“It's not _The Bachelor._ ” Ben muttered and went pink, showing the notebook again. _You want me to call my parents?_

She gave him a withering look before covering her eyes. “I didn't exactly think I'd get picked, Papa, Dad.” She swallowed, “so yes, I married a total stranger. It isn't necessarily permanent, after eight weeks, we decide if we want to stay married or get divorced.”

“Well, you've made your salad, now you must eat it.” Dad stated with a tone in his voice Rey knew all too well. The only thing worse than upsetting her dads and getting the silent treatment was when they decided to tease her instead. “You better introduce us, young lady, or we're coming to Memphis on the next plane we can catch so we can see him for ourselves.”

She stood up straighter, lowering her hand and waving over Ben over to her.. “Be nice, Papa, Dad – Ben's a very nice young man with a good job and states he's already willing to do all the cooking.”

“That's good, considering how hopeless you are with it.” Dad deadpanned as Papa laughed, “and you're no better, you old fool.”

“And now we have a young fool in the family.” Papa chuckled, “because only a fool would marry our _xiǎo hǔ_ at first sight.”

“That's not a nice thing to say about our new son-in-law or our daughter, Chirrut.” Dad cleared his throat, “he simply doesn't know what he's getting into.”

Ben squared his shoulders. “No, no I'm a fool, I have it on good authority. I can provide you with a list of contacts you're welcome to call and confirm it. Although I should warn you in advance, both Rose and her sister Paige revert to speaking Vietnamese when sufficiently riled.”

Rey clasped the sides of her head, looking from her phone to her new husband. “Oh no, not _three_ of you.”

He blinked at her, “fine. I'm calling my parents so we can endure all the humiliation now and have an excuse in ending both conversations when dinner arrives.”

“You know we can hear you.” Dad chuckled, “and if you think we won't simply call you right back after you hang up, you're sorely mistaken.”

*

“Hush Baze, they'll simply put the phones on silent and ignore them. Once Ben sees how Rey eats, he'll have an idea of what we mean in not knowing what he's gotten himself into.” Ben could almost hear Chirrut's smile in his words, “it's unfair of him and us to keep his parents out of this discussion which involves all of us.”

Ben took a deep breath before unlocking his phone and scrolled through his contacts. “My mother might scream loud enough we can hear her all the way from North Carolina without the phone.”

Rey, her face still pink, seized one of the pillows from off the bed and went into the corner, pressing her face into it. “Not. Three. Of. Them. I. Can't. Handle. This.”

“If you're using all the drama today, I get it all tomorrow.” He glanced down at Rey's phone still on the bed, knowing her dads could hear him clearly. “My mother's sprinting over here on her next three-day weekend, make no mistake. She'll have your dads in tow as well.” He cleared his throat and hit the call button. “Never told her I made the final cut and I'm guessing she forgot the name of the show as well.”

“We'll be quiet, let you make the introductions.” Baze – he was pretty sure it was Baze – answered.

“Good evening, Benny!” his mother's burst out, far too chipper for this time of day. “You almost never call me on a weekday!”

“Hi, mom.” He felt his cheeks turning hot and Rey retreated from the corner, tossing the pillow onto the bed. “You and dad doing okay?”

“We're good, your dad's gone down to Florida, visiting your uncle Lando, he's run out of things around fix the house. I may have to break something before he comes home.” There was a rustling noise. “You're not sick again, are you sweetie?”

Rey's jaw dropped, and she grabbed the notepad he'd left on the bed, scribbling on it and turning it around. _What does she mean by sick?_

“No mom. Remember how I told you I was going through some casting for a reality show?” The heat spread from his cheeks to his ears as he set the phone down beside Rey's.“I sort of made the final cut.”

“Oh thank god, for a moment you had me frightened.” She cleared her throat. “Now, I can't keep track of all the things on TV these days, Benny. What's the show you're on called again? I'll make sure I set the DVR up so I don't miss anything.”

Now the color edged down under the collar of his shirt. “ _Married at First Sight._ ”

“Married at First....” Ben took a step back from the bed, bracing for what he knew was coming. “Benjamin Fredrick Skywalker-Solo, did you get married to a total stranger?”

“Uh, that's the point of the....” He felt Rey's hand on his back .

“I don't believe this! Not only did you get married, you did not invite me to the ceremony!” Something fell on her end of the line. “I would have canceled everything at once and come over there at once if I had known this was happening!”

“They changed the show format this season mom. No fancy weddings to start out with.” He closed his eyes. “So it was all...” he searched for a word.

“Simply civil.” Rey interjected, tentatively resting her chin on his shoulder. “Yes, he remembered to brush his teeth and wear clean underwear. At least, I assume it's clean, I've not seen it.”

“Huh.” His mother tutted. “You're not having a go with me, are you, young man?”

“Moth-er.” Ben sighed, giving Rey a lopsided grin. “If I was having a go with you, I'd have told you Rose and I eloped to Vegas and say I was calling you from the airport on our way to Hawaii.”

“You have introductions to make, young man.” Chirrut's voice came from Rey's phone. “We've sat patiently long enough, and would like to join in this conversation.”

“Rose is a lovely young woman and your father and I know her.” His mother stated, and another rustle of noise came from her end. Paperwork of some kind, Ben guessed. “And who spoke a moment ago, are you out somewhere?”

“No, there's two cell phones lying beside each other, both on speaker.” Ben cleared his throat. “So yeah... guess I better make some introductions here...Rey, this is my mom, Leia Skywalker-Solo, mom, this is Rey, she flies cargo planes and can't cook. On the other line are her two dads, Baze and Chirrut, but I'm not certain if their last name goes Malbus-Îmwe or Îmwe-Malbus.”

“How can a young woman raised by two men not know how to cook?” His mom coughed. “Pardon me, allergies.”

Rey gaped at him, “I can cook a little!”

“Mrs. Solo, our daughter does not have the right temperament for the kitchen. She has tried, however.” Chirrut let out a soft chuckle. “Fortunately, she's never set anything on fire.”

“No, that was you and the microwave in the teacher's lounge.” Baze interjected, “the students weren't amused at you setting off the fire alarm during exams in December.”

“What, they never burned popcorn and set it off themselves?” Ben snickered, “Rose's sister Paige did it around nine times in college. It's why there's no microwave in their food truck. I remain surprised Rose lets her sister cook at all.” He glanced over at Rey, who still looked ready to crawl under the bed.

“So how long will the show keep you two together?” His mother asked, the clicking noise on her end returning.

“Eight weeks.” Rey found her voice, “Then we decide if we want to remain married or get divorced.”

Ben took the notebook from her, glancing down at his phone. “You can't be upset with me mother. You threatened to hire a matchmaker if I wasn't married by the time I turned thirty-four. I distinctly remember, because it was during the intermission of Fiddler on the Roof which you dragged me to at thirteen.”

“I was joking with you, Benjamin Fredrick and you know it.” His mother cleared her throat. “Though why you felt you had to go with a stranger and not some nice girl...”

“Our daughter is very nice!” Baze and Chirrut said as one.

“And extremely cute.” The words slipped from him before he had time to think about it, and Rey's eyes widened.

“You think I'm cute?” She jumped as a knock sounded on the door and he walked past her to answer it. “Dinner?”

He checked his watch, “more than likely.” Glancing through the peephole in the door, he could see a member of the hotel staff, along with someone he vaguely remembered seeing running a soundboard during the taping of the show earlier today. “We don't get filmed eating, fantastic.” He opened the door, leaning out into the hallway. “Evening.”

“Evening.” the hotel employee spoke up first, “dinner for Rey and Ben?” she glanced at the notepad in her hand, “two cheeseburgers with fries, two milkshakes; one chocolate and one strawberry, one ultimate brownie and a slice of pineapple upside down cake?”

“Sounds exactly right..” He pushed the door back and held it open for her to wheel the cart inside and turned towards the guy, “you here for the camera?”

“Yeah.” he followed in the young woman's wake, “wasn't supposed to come by for another hour, but the other two couples decided, for some strange reason, to spend a night on the town, and I want some sleep.”

“Don't blame you.” He shut the door and came back into the main part of the room and discovered Rey putting both of their phones on the bedside table to charge. “They all hang up?”

“They seemed more interested in talking with each other than to me, so your mom gave Dad her number and the three of them are undoubtedly scheming against us as we speak.” She rubbed her temple, “and I can already hear Papa saying it's my own fault for doing this.”

“Good thing my dad's out of town,” he snickered, running a hand through his hair. “he'd start packing a suitcase and start driving this way within the hour if he was home.”

*

Leia rubbed her temple, not entirely certain how to feel about her son's news. She might have actually felt better if Ben _had_ eloped with Rose in Vegas, instead of what he'd done. She took another drink of coffee, thankful her first lecture tomorrow wasn't until eleven, and despite that, she was tempted to call her TA, Maddie, and tell her to show her Comparative World Cultures class something from the Humanities Department's extensive National Geographic collection.

“I'll see how I feel in the morning.” She sighed as her phone rang, and she frowned at the unknown number. “Seven-twenty area code.” She tapped the number into the search bar on her laptop before she answered. “Hello?”

“Mrs. Solo?” She didn't know which father of Rey's spoke first, his tone short and gruff, not unlike a few of the older professors in her department. “Sorry for not calling right away, the oven buzzer went off, and we didn't want the dinner burning.”

“It's fine, and please, call me Leia.” She took a sip of coffee again, glancing at the screen of her computer. So they lived in Denver. “I'm sorry in advance if I get the two of you mixed up.”

“Do not worry, many of Rey's friends have faced similar problems. I'm Chirrut, or as many of our daughter's friends state, the cheerful one.” The second man answered, “how's the weather in North Carolina this evening?”

Leia smiled; they must have done an area code search as well. “Raining without storms, do you still have snow?”

Both men laughed in reply. “No,” Baze stated through his mirth. “save for the large piles in the corners of parking lots.”

“Though flurries are expected tomorrow afternoon.” Chirrut interjected. “Does it ever snow there?”

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Yes, and when it does, the people who don't know how to handle snow make it ten times worse than it necessary, and those of us who do know about snow suffer for it.”

“Ah weather, without it, ninety percent of the time, strangers would have nothing to talk about.” Baze let out a deep breath. “Those two are in a heap of trouble and have no one to blame for it but themselves.”

“Bah.” Chirrut scoffed, “I listened to the two of them. Before the next two months are over, Ben and Xiǎo Hǔ will fall so helplessly in love with each other, we'll all spend the rest of this decade trying to catch up with them."

Leia smirked, "or the damn station will try and give them a show all their..." she stopped, her eyes widening. "Oh shit."

"What?" Baze asked, "what's there about those two kids makes you think the network would do such a thing?"

"Oh let's see... I'm talking with two gay men who immigrated to this country and raised a girl whom I'm guessing shares zero cultural background with them, who's married to my son, a somewhat fallen Jewish boy raised by both of his parents, whose thirty-third wedding anniversary is next month." She took a swig from her coffee mug. "Think about it."

"Ha! We'd never sign the agreement. I'm surprised the network lawyers haven't come by to have us sign for this show." Baze chuckled, "and the kids won't sign up for it either. Today's events aside, they're sensible enough."

Leia tapped her fingers on the table, "if we're going to continue this conversation, I need to call my husband, it's unfair of us to leave him out."

"Agreed." Chirrut replied, "we can have a little of our dinner while we wait."

She shook her head and put the two men on hold while she hit the first name in her contacts. "Well, at least Ben didn't run off and join the circus." She sighed as the phone rang twice before her husband answered.

"We're staying out of trouble, Princess, I promise." Han's voice wasn't slurred, but he still sounded wretchedly guilty.

"Hi, honey, l miss you too," she quipped, “did you know the television show our son has decided to appear on involves marrying a total stranger?”

He swallowed in reply, "if I say yes, am I in more trouble than him?"

Leia rubbed her temple, "now you're supposed to you tell me I'm working too hard and I should have remembered, right?"

"You love your work, but..." he made an exasperated sound, "We'll discuss it when I get home. Did Ben already get married and not invite us to the wedding?"

"I'm a little shocked myself, the show apparently didn't want the couples to have formal weddings this year. I think there's something behind that." She took a breath, "anyway, I have our new daughter-in-law's parents on the other line." she moved the phone so she could merge the calls, "advance warning, our son now has two father-in-laws."

"Nothing wrong with that." He chuckled, "we all going to Memphis to see the kids shortly?"

"Depends on when the school year ends," she replied, "considering three of us are teachers. Not all of us have the luxury of retirement."

"Good evening." Baze's voice cut into the conversation, "retirement does sound lovely. Chirrut and I look forward to ours in four years."

Leia picked up her coffee mug and switched her phone's speaker on before she opened her in-box. She definitely wasn't going to her eleven o'clock tomorrow.

*

Rey flatly refused to let Ben sleep on the floor. When he'd offered, she'd felt half-stunned, half insulted. The king-sized bed had more than enough room for both of them. However, she slept in the middle of her bed, and had a feeling he did the same in his. The two of them should have fallen asleep within seconds of lying down, regardless of position, given the exhaustion of the day. Instead, they'd lain in silence for the past three hours. She flipped her pillow over, sighing into the coolness of it.

"You're still awake?" Ben groaned and the bedclothes rustled as he turned over so they faced each other. "I never like sleeping in hotels. Everything smells wrong."

"Do you normally sleep on your back or your front?" She snickered, "I can't believe they never asked about sleeping habits in the gauntlet of questionnaires."

He chuckled, "because it's dismissed out of hand. You can adjust your sleep position. I slept on my front until I turned fourteen, now I sleep on my side, but not on the side of the bed."

"Middle of the bed is best," she rubbed her eyes, "you think I'd not have a problem with strange beds, given how many nights I sleep in one in a given month." she paused, "though I'm not sharing any of those."

"I'm still willing to sleep on the floor," he shrugged, "if you want, we'll ask the nice hotel in New Orleans for a room with two queens, so we can both have our own bed."

"I think that might violate terms and conditions at this point." She grumbled, rolling over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. "What time's our wake-up call?"

"Six-thirty." He let out a low groan as he stretched, “what does xiǎo hǔ mean?”

“Little tiger.” She grinned, “you're not allowed to call me that, only my dads can.”

“I won't, I just wanted to know what it meant.” He covered his eyes with his hand, rubbing both of his temples at the same time. “It's one in the morning and we're still awake. This is insanity.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of awkward.” She swallowed, “seriously.”

Ben sat up, moving one of the pillows closer to his legs. “We should both get into our preferred sleeping positions. We'll never get past awkward if we keep this up.”

“Sleep is a beautiful thing and I want some.” She adjusted her pillows and moved closer towards the center of the bed as he settled on his side, his back to her, a pillow lodged between his legs. “Any change in our arrangement during slumber is merely coincidental.”

“Exactly.” He yawned, “Comfy?”

She covered a yawn of her own, closing her eyes as she tucked her arm under the pillow. “Uh huh.” She slowly inhaled, catching a scent she recognized instantly. “Do you use cucumber melon body-wash?”

“Yeah.” He let out a low groan, “and don't go telling me it's a woman's scent. How can my bottle of body-wash be for a woman when I'm the one who picked it out and purchased it?,” he paused, “well, technically some nice employee at Target who pulled it from the shelf did the picking when I ordered it, but still...”

Rey grinned, “I know what you mean.” She yawned again, “good night, Ben.”

“Night. Sweet dreams.” He answered, more to his pillow than to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey's second day of marriage proves to be almost as eventful as the first.

Ben didn't open his eyes as soon as he woke up; he let awareness slowly return to him in bits and pieces. His position hadn't changed; still on his side in this wretchedly uncomfortable bed, with its wrong scent and over-fluffed pillows. Beside him, he could feel Rey's face resting between his shoulder blades, her arm thrown over his waist. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “You awake?”

“You're so damn warm.” She replied, rubbing her cheek against his shirt, her arm tightening against him. “And you smell nice too.” She sighed, nuzzling closer. “Let's just stay here and forget going to New Orleans.”

He chuckled, “there's probably a bed just as comfortable waiting for us there. Possibly with more pillows.” He stiffened as she molded her body against his back, slowly relaxing as he adjusted to her touch. “I'm never the little spoon, it's a nice change.”

“You're the big spoon once winter gets here. I'll get heat exhaustion any other season.” She sighed softly. “More pillows sounds excellent. I have six on my bed. You?”

He scrunched his nose, trying to picture his room in his apartment. “I think there's eleven. Not intentional on my part. The bedding set I gave myself for my last birthday came with four throws.”

“Throw pillows have purposes on occasion.” She grumbled, yawning. “Four throws? You must have a king size bed, right?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his eyes, “there's a total of six throws, two sleeping pillows, one body sized pillow, and two covered with shams. I keep the throws to toss around in annoyance during frustrating work days, or make my whole apartment look instantly cleaner simply by making the bed.”

“I can agree with that kind of thinking.” Rey let out a soft chuckle, “like I said last night, I don't do much at my apartment except sleep and take a shower. I cleaned out the fridge on Monday, and I'm surprised I didn't find anything growing inside.”

He yawned, stretching his arms over his head and rolling onto his back. “I've never found anything growing, but I did find a bag of fun-sized Snickers bars in the back of my freezer I thought I'd lost weeks ago. A little late for Halloween, but they weren't wasted.”

“Pretty sure I spent last Halloween in Boise, silently dreading the upcoming holiday season. Some people treat November first like it's December twenty-third.” She rubbed her eyes, “makes me glad I only fly the packages to where they need to go, I don't have to drive one of the trucks.” She grimaced, “That and Amazon doesn't have their own private shipping company.”

“No kidding.” Ben grimaced at his phone. “Six thirty.” He sat up and grabbed the device, silencing the alarm. “Out of curiosity, you're not going to turn into a backseat pilot on the plane, are you?”

“Funny.” Rey scooted up behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder. “I'll make us some coffee. Shame we can't go down to the hotel's breakfast bar in our pajamas.”

“Stupid dress codes.” He answered, chuckling, “though I suppose we shouldn't complain. It's a few steps up from your standard continental hotel breakfast. I don't know why your dads warned me about your eating habits. Seemed pretty normal to me.”

She chuckled, slipping out of the bed. “I think they meant the quantity of food I eat, not in how I eat it.” She went over to the dresser and picked up the pot from the small four-cup coffee machine. “We need to have a good breakfast. Airport food is absurdly overpriced and we'll only get pretzels on the plane, if anything. More than likely, we'll only get soda.”

“No objections.” He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a low sigh as she went to fill the pot with water. “I always tend to fall asleep on planes anyway, regardless of distance traveled.”

“I can't sleep sitting up.” she answered, “since I live and am based out of Memphis, I never have to fly to another city for the start of a work shift. Of course, taking an Airbus from here to London is hell.” she returned, and started to fix the machine. “Yes, it's a direct flight.”

“I know.” He grinned, “I've had to fly to London a time or two.” He stretched his arms over his head and stood. “The things one must to avoid a layover.”

“Exactly.” She rubbed her eyes, “not to mention I hate flying into New York airspace. It's organized chaos and plenty of planes think they deserve priority because they have someone famous on board. Unless the plane's in distress or one of the passengers needs medical attention asap, you can wait your bloody turn.”

“Three major airports in one small area.” he went to his carry-on bag and opened it. “I'm surprised more planes don't land at the wrong one. Or they do, we never hear about it.”

“San Diego's a cakewalk compared to New York, and they only have one runway.” She came over to get into her bag. “I realize odds are pretty high I'm going to know someone on the crew of the plane. Depends on where they're based out of.” She unzipped the bag, “at least we don't have to worry about our parents going crazy about everything on Facebook. I don't even have a Facebook account, do you?”

“I'm not on any form of social media, other than Twitter, and I only follow restaurant accounts, mainly for coupon deals and other promotions.” He sighed, “It's a shit-show on any given day of the week.”

“Tell me about it. I used to have an Instagram, but I deleted it after getting way too much hate for liking things people viewed as problematic.” She took a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt from her bag. “Some people need to just go outside for a while if they're offended by someone liking veal Marsala. I clearly stated in my profile I'm an omnivore. I logged in one morning after posting a few pictures of a Mongolian barbeque dinner I'd eaten the night before, and I swear, every vegan in North and South America was screaming for my head in my in-box.”

“Some people don't know how to stay in their lane.” He sighed, “someone could have a page called 'cutest-cats-ever,' with ten thousand pictures of adorable cats and kittens and someone would yell at them demanding to know why they weren't posting pics of dogs too.”

“I'm allergic to cats, but that doesn't stop me from watching cat videos. Not like watching them on a screen will make the hives break out or the sneezes start.” She grinned, “though I think my favorite video online I've seen are the Australian news reporters and the shark.”

He laughed, knowing exactly what she was talking about. “I'm addicted to watching Russian dash cams. Makes the traffic here in Memphis look mundane.” He took a pair of jeans and a shirt from his bag. “Speaking of animals, does your Papa have a seeing eye dog?”

Rey nodded, “a golden lab named Thor. I know, it sounds so cliché. This is his second dog, when I was little, he had a chocolate lab named Heath.” she chuckled, “as in Heath Bar.”

Ben shook his head, “I'm not saying anything. My mom's got a friend with a sheep ranch – and has a herding dog named Torgo.”

She set her clothes on the bed and went back to the coffee pot. “What does your mom teach?, I didn't get a chance to ask her last night.”

He folded his arms, leaning against the wall. “Social sciences, including geography but excluding government. She despises the whole of politics. Can't blame her. She didn't even like the PTA.”

“My dads aren't too fond of them either.” She fixed her cup of coffee. “Papa and Dad both teach at the Denver School for the Blind. Pre-k through twelfth, so it's sort of weird to explain if you're not familiar with it – Papa teaches music to the elementary school-aged kids. Dad teaches history to high-schoolers.” She took a sip from her cup, and grimaced. “I hope the stuff downstairs tastes better.”

He pushed away from the wall and prepared his own serving of coffee. “Usually does. Or drinking it out of a ceramic mug tricks your brain into thinking it's better because you're not drinking from paper or Styrofoam. Or a properly cleaned coffee pot.” He grimaced at the first sip; the coffee tasted old. “Probably stronger too.”

“Weak coffee is the worst coffee.” Rey let out a long sigh, “so what did your dad do before he retired?”

Ben felt his cheeks go pink. “Commercial airline pilot. First for Pan Am, he transferred to United a year before Lockerbie. He's still disappointed he never got the chance to fly a Concorde.”

“I don't blame him.” She set her cup down, picked up her stack of clothes and grabbed her makeup bag. “I say we forgo the showers until we get to New Orleans. Since I'm guessing we both know how little deep cleaning planes get.”

“Agreed.” He watched her gather up her things and head to the bath. “Are you always this chipper in the morning?”

“No.” She called, “depending on how much sleep I get, I run the spectrum of chipper to downright perky.”

*

Rey resisted the urge to fill her plate up in her first go-through on the breakfast buffet. Everything looked absolutely perfect and fresh, one of the perks of arriving downstairs before the majority of the hotel guests had woken up. The only thing she knew hadn't come from the kitchen were the doughnuts – she'd seen enough of them to know a fancy plated stack of Dunkins finest glazed when she saw one. She spread jam across the top of her toast as Ben returned to their table, setting down a plate with a large pancake with fresh fruit heaped in the middle of it and another plate with eggs and bacon.

“Having a do-it yourself crepe?” She grinned as he took a drink from his coffee mug.

“Something along those lines, yes.” He picked up his fork and moved the fruit out of the pile he'd put it in. “I'm not a fan of syrup.” He glanced over at her, “anyone give you hell for your Colorado Rockies shirt?”

“No, although it's still early.” She speared a hunk of melon on her fork. “I'm allowed to wear this, right? It's permitted for the show?”

He nodded, “Since it's a pro sport team, which falls in a different category than if you wore something advertising a product or a film franchise.” He rubbed his temple, “not to mention we're in a bit of a baseball team void, those who care about the sport are Cardinals fans. Just don't wear any Broncos paraphernalia.”

“I don't like football.” She replied, turning her attention to her plate. As far as she knew, none of the other couples had come down yet; most likely the four of them were sleeping off hangovers and who knew what else from their night. She had no idea how any of them had summoned the energy to go out for even an hour; she'd wanted to ride on the bellhop's trolly when they arrived last night; no thought beyond getting into something more comfortable and eating before getting a decent night's sleep.

She suspected she would only want a shower and a short nap when they got to New Orleans. She picked up a slice of bacon. “So what do you normally have for breakfast?”

“Depends on how I feel when I get up, sometimes it's a bowl of Cheerios, other days, I want eggs and hash-browns.” Ben sighed. “This is such a weird concept. We didn't talk much after we finished dinner last night. We know a handful of things about one another, but we don't know each other much more than we did this time yesterday. You think they'd have given us a suggested questions list, or something.”

Rey took a sip of coffee. “Okay, I'll just grab the elephant in the corner by the ear and drag it to the table.” She met his gaze. “What did your mom mean yesterday when she asked if you were sick again?”

Ben set his fork down, his expression more sheepish than anything. “I had cancer as a teenager; leukemia,” he cleared his throat,taking a sip of coffee. Every time she looked at him, he looked more and more like a puppy. “Declared in remission at eighteen and cancer free at twenty two.”

“Holy...” she bit back her curse, not entirely certain how to react to his revelation. “I'm glad you're better.”

“Me, too,” he chuckled. “That's actually how Rose and I met. We went through chemo together.” His smile grew more certain, “and declared in remission on the same day. So every year on February sixteenth, the anniversary of our mutual clean diagnosis, I send her something for her hair and she sends me some kind of rabbit.” He blushed slightly, “she still calls me rabbit – well, Con thỏ, which is Vietnamese for rabbit.”

“Because of your ears?” She swallowed as he went pinker, “sorry.”

“No, don't apologize, ” He picked up his phone and started to scroll through something. “And yeah, it's because of my ears. When I went through chemo, they seemed twice as prominent, a gangly, scrawny teenager with no hair and stupid big ears. I'm thankful it wasn't Dumbo.” He took a sip of coffee. “I call her Pip, after her favorite hobbit – and, compared to me, she's perfectly hobbit sized.”

“The more I hear about Rose, the more I can't wait to meet her.” She bit into her bacon, thinking. Even though she knew how prevalent cancer was, the only people she knew who fell victim to the disease were old or middle aged. She didn't know too many people personally with cancer either; other than a few friends of her dads. She frowned as Ben continued scrolling through his phone. “Messages?”  
“Huh?” he looked up, “no....” he stopped and turned his phone towards her. “This is me and Rose, back in January for New Year's Eve, we met up in St Louis.”

She took the phone, grinning at the image of Ben, a top hat with a ridiculously big sunflower perched on the brim and a pretty young woman, a little older than her, wearing a bright green and gold head-band crowned with a matching bow. “Did you get her the hair thing?”

“Yeah. On Etsy.” he ducked his head, “I spend more time than a straight man should on that website. But I swear, it makes gift shopping for all the women I know a million times easier.”

“Nothing wrong with supporting craft-makers, and handmade is always better.” she handed the phone back to him and picked up her fork. “I'm actually scared to visit Etsy. I worry I'll drop my whole paycheck on things I didn't know I needed before I've paid my bills.”

He grinned, setting his phone back into his pocket. “Tell me if there's something in particular you're looking for. I probably have a discount due with a vendor who sells the exact thing.”

“You're funny.” she wrinkled her nose in his direction, “and I'm acting silly.”

Ben rested his head on his palm, smiling, “You mean you're not flirting?”

She felt her cheeks grow warm. “And if I am?”

“Nothing,” he winked, “does it mean I get to do it in return, Gingersnap?”

Rey frowned. “I don't have red hair.”

“Ginger isn't red.” He turned his attention to his plate. “Such a woefully miss-assigned adjective, ginger.”

She stabbed at her eggs, “If I'm Gingersnap, you're Fluffy – because of your naturally fluffy hair.”

He smirked, “I can live with Fluffy.”

“Fluffy and Gingersnap.... sounds like a show about a dog and a cat who teach kids about manners and friendship.” She grinned, “dibs on the dog role.”

“I want the part of the cat anyway. Get to take long naps at random hours and have my antisocial behavior excused.” He grinned, but the expression fell as he caught sight of something behind her. “Uh oh.”

“What?” Rey frowned and turned to see one of the show's producers coming towards them. The tall, pale blonde woman looked better suited to a courtroom than a television studio. Nothing but business – the sort of person when you saw her coming, you quickly got out of her way.

Ben stood up as she reached the table. “Good morning, Ms Phasma.”

“Morning, Ben, morning, Rey.” She pulled a chair from a vacant table and set it at the head of theirs before sitting. Ben took his seat and shot a look over at her, his expression neutral. “We have a bit of a problem.”

Rey took a bite of her eggs to keep from speaking; judging from the woman's expression, the 'bit of a problem' was anything but minor.

“What do you mean, a bit of a problem?” Ben cleared his throat, “On a scale of one to ten, exactly how big is it?”

Phasma leaned forward, resting her folded hands on the table. “Nine and a half, and it's with the other two couples.” She took a deep breath, “Did you know they went out last night?”

She took a drink from her coffee mug before speaking. “Did the couples get mixed up?”

Phasma looked from her to Ben before she nodded. “We're hoping to have the situation at least halfway fixed soon. Unfortunately, they also broke the social networks blackout clause, so they've got a lot more to sort out.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “since they broke the rule, it voids their contracts for the show.” she folded her hands tightly, trying to smile and failing. “Meaning you're the only couple left for the season, and I don't think we can sell this season with just one couple.”

Ben blinked, his expression perfectly neutral as he picked up his coffee mug. “This is exactly why you never text while drunk.”

“Announcing to everyone in the bar you just got married to a total stranger doesn't help matters either.” She looked at the two of them, “everything currently allotted to you for the honeymoon and moving expenses still stands.” she assured, her expression cowed, “as for the rest of the filming, it's not going to happen.”

“So the two of us are left married to each other for the next eight weeks without cameras?” Rey interjected, if she didn't know better, she would think the past twenty-four hours a particularly sick joke. Though getting to know Ben without cameras around had its appeal.

Phasma clasped her hands, letting out a deep breath. “You don't need to make it for two months. We can arrange for divorce proceedings as soon as next week if that's what the two of you want.”

Ben frowned, and Rey wondered if she'd hurt his feelings. “What about a sister network picking up the show? The way Lifetime snagged _Project Runway_ from Bravo?”

The older woman shook her head. “This whole season is officially in the toilet, considering the other two couples went crazy on social media. The switched couples are all over the part of the media that's not focused on whatever nonsense is happening in the political arena today.”

She mulled the woman's words over. “So in other words, Ben and I need to go off, have fun, and stay out of trouble while the network tries to clean up the mess?”

“Pretty much, kiddos.” She managed a smile. “I'll let you two get back to your breakfast, I know you have a plane to catch in a few hours. We'll call you if anything develops. Your media silence ends at four forty-five this afternoon. Have fun in New Orleans.” She stood and put the chair back before walking away.

Ben snorted, folding his arms and sitting back. “What a fine kettle of fish.”

Rey gave him a withering look. The only person she knew who used such an old expression was her dad. “This is exactly like when the whole class got punished because a couple of kids did something wrong and the teacher thinks everyone has to suffer because we didn't stop them. Regardless of if we could or not.” She straightened when she saw his expression change, from annoyance to something – something odd. “What?”

“If this is a backdoor method to giving us our own show, it's not funny.” He cut into his pancake, his focus back on the plate. “We're not interesting enough for our own show. We don't have any siblings to create drama.”

*

Han had barely hung up the phone last night when he started packing his things. Jetting off to Denver to meet his son's in-laws – and to assure them of what sort of man their daughter had married – was a borderline emergency, in his mind. Once he'd told Lando the situation, his friend had helped him finish up the task and drove him to the airport to catch an early flight across the country.

While he felt incredibly guilty about Leia not joining him, he knew he was the only one who had the free time to go from place to place. He also knew he'd never hear the end of it if he went to meet Rey when neither Baze nor Chirrut could do the same with Ben.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as the fasten seat-belt sign pinged, the roar of the engines quieting some as the plane finally slowed and turned off the runway, the speaker above him crackled to life.

“Welcome to Denver, ladies and gentlemen, where local time is twelve-thirty nine, and currently forty-nine degrees. Please keep those seat-belts fastened until we reach the gate. If this is your final destination, we'll have baggage claim information for you shortly. If you're continuing on....”

The voice faded from his notice as he glanced out the window, grimacing at the gray afternoon. Although April would turn into May in a week, looking at the grounds around the airport, he could almost believe it was still March. Surprisingly, there wasn't any snow. Of all the airports he'd flown into both as a passenger and a pilot, Denver International stood in the middle of the pack. Not nearly the logistical nightmare like anywhere in New York or Los Angeles. Little harder than Kansas City, not quite as simple as Houston. It had the wonderful distinction of knowing what to do with the current weather conditions than half the airports in North America.

“I'm getting too old for this nonsense.” He muttered and reached down to pull his phone from his laptop bag. He'd told Leia where he'd gone, and if she jetted out to Denver on Friday morning, it wouldn't come as a surprise. “Whole damn situation is crazy.” While he never have said it out loud, he'd worried over Ben more and more as of late. He and Leia were getting older, and it wasn't grand-kids he and his wife lamented over, but their son spending the rest of his life alone.

By mutual agreement, all of the parents in this new union had agreed, should the marriage work out, they could not bring up grandchildren or the possibility of them. Ever. It wasn't fair to the kids, and besides, they knew the current state of the modern world. Han had the feeling it was far more likely for Ben and Rey to show up for Thanksgiving with four children of various ages they'd rescued from the foster care system in Memphis and leave their grandmother shocked as they set a table for ten before she could learn their names.

“Quit it.” He silently reprimanded and checked his messages – one from Ben, letting him know he and Rey had landed safely in New Orleans, one from Leia, telling him to mind his manners,and a third from Lando – who told him to bundle up against the bitter cold. His best friend since college still continued under the impression any temperature under sixty-five was cold and anything under fifty nothing short of bitter. When people in certain parts of the United States talked about people down south incapable of handling any form of cold weather, Lando fit the assumption perfectly.

Lando wore a parka outside the second the temperature dropped below sixty.

Han shook his head, stuffing his phone back into his bag. He supposed if they had all gone to Memphis and ended up at a wedding, the events would have gone dramatically differently. Leia would have drug Ben back to North Carolina by his ears, for one. She still might, they weren't even a full day into the marriage. The rest of the passengers focused on their own bags, not giving him a second glance. Since he'd brought no checked luggage and he wasn't going on to another destination, he had no reason to rush.

The school day wasn't over for another two hours, and it'd probably take him all that time to collect his rental car and find the hotel. Baze and Chirrut asked him to meet them at their favorite Indian restaurant, which Baze informed him was formal enough for cloth napkins, casual enough no-one gave you a second look if you wore jeans. Good thing, given he hadn't packed a single formal piece of clothing for his trip to Lando's.

“Oh behalf of the crew, I'd like to thank you for flying United, and we hope to see you all again real soon.” The voice on the overhead speaker sounded perfectly genuine; the sort of tone you heard from a pilot or first officer who'd reached the end of a particularly grueling series of flights, and would spend tonight at home.

Han had made enough trips to Denver for the start of such a series of flights, he knew true enthusiasm when he heard it. He probably knew both of the pilots, if he'd paid any attention to their names back when they'd taken off from Atlanta, he might have said hello.

“Still glad I retired.” He pulled the backpack from under the seat in front of him and set it on the empty place next to his; waiting his turn to venture out into the isle. They had a method for getting everyone on the plane, but when it came time to disembark, it seemed like everyone forgot their manners and were ready to climb over a little old lady or trample a few kids to get out. Unless he had to make a connection or sitting by the aisle, he'd stuck with the habit of waiting until the plane stood practically empty before he got up and got out.

“Han Solo, is that you?” A voice said from the seat behind him.

He turned, “Jyn Erso-Andor, how long have you been sitting there?”

“Oh, I just materialized on the plane sometime after we crossed into Missouri airspace.” She grinned, “what brings you to Denver?”

“Long story, none of which is my fault, for once.” He glanced at the empty seat by her. “Cassian not with you?”

“Cassian's still flying internationally, I think he's somewhere over Kazakhstan as we speak.” She patted the top of a document tube. “I've got a presentation to make tomorrow, and I'd rather arrive a day early than tempt fate, weather delays, and traffic.” She pulled another bag out from under the seat. “How's Ben doing?”

“Good, kind of the reason I'm here.” He paused, “would you like to come with me to dinner to meet his new in-laws? Leia can't get out of work for a few more days and I'd appreciate some back-up.”

Jyn blinked at him. “I'm confused, how can you not know the parents of the woman your son married, and furthermore, how could there have been a wedding and you not invite Cassian and I?”

“Reality show.” He rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. “Leia's already given him the riot act, but you're welcome to issue a second helping.”

“Oh, I'll keep my position as the nice aunt.” She grinned, “just as Amilyn is the wine aunt.” She fished her cell phone from her bag. “Besides, once Rose finds out what Ben did, she'll punish him enough for all of us.”

“Such a terrible thing to say about such a sweet girl.” He stepped into the aisle and pulled down his carry-on, followed by Jyn's. “Her sister is the one you need to watch out for.”

“No kidding. Hurricane Paige.” She stood, “thank you.” She indicated the bag and the two of them headed up to the front of the plane. “Tell me you brought some baby pictures of Ben to embarrass him without his knowledge.”

“Of course I did, Mrs. Andor.” He grinned, shaking his head as they reached the exit. “What kind of parent do you think I am?”

“Good answer.” She came up to walk next to him, “so what do you know about your new daughter-in-law?”

“Her name's Rey, she's a pilot for Fed-Ex, and she was raised by two dads.” He chuckled, “you need to go to baggage claim?”

“Nope,I'm not paying a luggage fee if I don't need to, and I've packed enough suitcases to cram two weeks worth of clothes into a carry-on and not have a single wrinkle.” She grinned as she fastened up her coat. “A three day trip is a walk in the park. What's for dinner?”

“Indian food, some place called Yak and Yeti. Rey's fathers apparently love it.” They went outside into the brisk afternoon. “They're from China, or as Chirrut puts it, he's from Hong Kong and Baze is from China.”

“Sounds like quite a pair.” She adjusted her bags and document tubes, frowning, “they're not going to mistake me for Leia, are they?”

“No, they won't. They know I'm the only one who's coming.” He sighed as they boarded the transport bus for the rental car company. “I just happened to find someone extremely important to my family on the plane to bring along.”

She gave him a smile as they sat down, “I'm glad someone in this world besides my husband thinks I'm extremely important. It's a nice feeling.”

Han took a breath, shaking his head. “Do you honestly believe Leia and I could feel anything but eternally grateful to you? You joined the bone marrow donor registration at a church drive, four months later, you're at St. Jude's in Nashville saving my son's life.”

Jyn went slightly pink, looking down at her gloved hands. “And Cassian was there to save Rose's.” She cleared her throat. “Ben always sends me such a lovely card on my birthday every August.” she looked nearly ready to start weeping, “I know I've helped other children since him, and I still do... but he's... he's special because he was the first, you know?”

He nodded. “I do.” The bus lurched to a stop to let more passengers on. “When's the last time you saw him?”

“February, I had a meeting in Memphis and we met up for lunch. You still giving him a hard time about all of his houseplants?” she grinned, “you do know half of them are cacti, yes?”

“I do.” He leaned back in his seat, sighing, “cacti, an aloe vera, and a couple of spider plants. I've not visited him in months. He came home for Hanukkah last December – he loves where he lives, and he calls his mother every week. Can't really complain there.”

Jyn rested her chin on her arm as it rested on the seat in front of her, “he's a good kid, marrying a total stranger notwithstanding.”

He folded his arms, “after two months, he and Rey decide if they want to stay married or not. Chirrut's of the opinion they're going to fall in love with each other before then.”

The woman grinned, “once he cooks a few meals for her, she'd be crazy to leave him. The only man I know who cooks better than him is Cassian, though in all fairness, Cassian has a bigger kitchen.”

“Everyone has a de-stress method, cooking is his.” he frowned, “I wonder if Chirrut and Baze need anything fixed. I've run out of things to fix at home.”

“I should call Leia and tell her to start breaking things.” Jyn muttered, “find something to keep you out of trouble.” She narrowed her eyes. “Until your friend Bacca decides to retire and give up the dream of the Nationals making the Series to do it.”

“You kidding? Soon as Chewie goes into retirement, we can go into home repair together.” He laughed as the bus pulled away from the terminal and headed for the rental car lot.

*

Rose wished for the umpteenth time the weather in New Orleans could remain exactly like April year round. Perfectly warm without too much of the wretched humidity which played havoc with both her and Paige's hair, and after sundown, still cool enough for a thin sweater or hoodie. While most food trucks tended to frequent the more touristy parts of town (or so it seemed) and and her sister, during the week, stuck to the central business district. The white collar workers needed quick lunches too – and in their experience, they would give the most amazing tips, depending on the day of the week.

“Lunch rush is nearly over.” Paige's voice broke into her thoughts, “we're going to move before happy hour gets here, right?”

“Don't we always?” She chuckled, “though I think we both know happy hour starts at around two, not four.” She glanced up at her sister, who kept dicing potatoes. “We'll call it a day before dark, don't worry. I know the Astros play tonight.”

“We have to enjoy these work days while the weather's nice. Summer's going to show up in two weeks and we're going to through ice faster than napkins.” She set the knife down and stretched her arms over her head, “speaking of, is Taj coming by later?”

“No, he's in Las Vegas for a charity event, he'll come home on Friday.” She tapped her nails on the steel counter, looking out at the passing people in suits. “When are you going to stop pretending you don't like him?”

“When we're at the rehearsal dinner for the wedding, and I might keep the act up for another year after” she went back to the vegetables, “has he proposed yet?”

Rose rolled her eyes, “don't you think I'd have told you already if he had?” the bell at the order window rang and she went down the short galley. “Good afternoon, welcome to...” she stopped short when she saw who stood on the other side of the window and any sullen mood she had quickly evaporated. “Con thỏ!” She ran outside and threw her arms around her friend. “Ben, why didn't you tell me you were coming to New Orleans?”

He returned the hug, picking her up and swinging her around with ease. “Long story, and I didn't know until yesterday.” He set her down, measuring the top of her head against his chest. “You getting taller, Pip?”

“Funny.” She glanced at the woman standing next to her friend, who had the look of someone standing in the corner of a party they weren't sure if they wanted to attend. “Who's your friend, Con thỏ?”

“I'm Rey.” The woman held out her hand and she shook it. “The reality show Ben and I are supposed to be on has suffered a critical meltdown, which I believe is entirely the producers fault because they had us all get married in secret yesterday afternoon.”

Rose felt her eyes widen, “little late for April fools, Ben.”

“She's not lying.” He ran a hand through his hair. “the show was nice enough to let us keep our honeymoon here to New Orleans.”

She shook her head, disgusted. “You're not getting your Dunkins gift card.” She went back into the truck, not trusting herself to keep from grabbing one of her friend's stupid big ears and ask what the hell he'd thought he was doing. She felt a little more in control being able to look down at him from behind the counter. “So how long have you known each other?”

“About a day.” Rey answered, “spare us the lecture, our parents already gave it to us.”

“What!” Paige turned from her work, clearly not content to simply eavesdrop, and came to join her at the counter, giving Ben a look of mock heartbreak. “You married a total stranger, why did you never consider me?”

Ben blinked, clearly unfazed by the outburst, “because I knew I could never woo you away from the incredible and beautiful Jessica Pava.”

Rose rolled her eyes, pulling the order tab towards her. “You need feeding. If you're busy eating, then you can't act like a dramatic ass.”

“But Rose, it's his turn to use the drama.” Rey interjected, “I got to use it yesterday. Tomorrow, we're sharing it.”

Paige sucked in a breath, paling slightly, “Oh no, there's two of them.”

“Don't make me call Gran.” she hissed at her sister before brightening and turning back to Ben and Rey. “You're not going to get out of this easily, Benjamin.”

“I'm fully prepared for the onslaught of the Tico family.” He inclined his head, “and completely prepared to bribe Armitage to propose to you in front of everyone to draw the attention away from Rey and I.”

Rey folded her arms, lifting her chin, “behave yourself Fluffy, or you can't have dessert at dinner tonight.”

“These two never behave with each other.” Paige declared, “if it wasn't for the eighteen month difference in their birthdays and their ethnic backgrounds, you'd swear they were twins separated at birth.”

Rose tapped the pen against the counter, “you going to have your usual, Con thỏ?”

“Braised chicken banh mi, light on the diakon, please.” he nodded to Rey, “how about you?”

“Pork belly banh mi.” She glanced at the menu, “what on earth are culture collision fries?”

“Fries served with a light chicken gravy, shredded swiss cheese and tossed in our Vietnamese meat rub.” Paige replied, “no ketchup needed.”

“You don't offer the stuff even if someone wanted it.” Ben retorted, chuckling. “We'd like a large order, we can split it.”

“Once Rey here tries them, she'll claw your hands off if you try to eat more than your share.” Rose added, “though knowing you, you'll let her have them without a whimper.”

“Aw, Pip darling, you say that like it's a bad thing.” Ben answered, grinning.

*

Jyn Erso-Andor, oddly enough, didn't think the way Ben had gotten married was too bizarre. Considering how he spent his teen years, she couldn't quite blame him for doing what he did. People looking from the outside had a hard time understanding why he and Rose weren't a couple. Everything from the outset said they should, but those two never clicked like that. She'd seen both of them at their worst, and since she and Cassian never had children of their own – the lives they saved donating bone marrow became their children by proxy.

Pictures graced the walls of their house, kids who sent them letters and invitations to major events – graduations, bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings – and things outsiders would dismiss as irrelevant. A stranger might wonder why they had a dozen school pictures of the same kid, some kid who wasn't even theirs – but in a fashion, they were. Cancer was a scourge and if she and Cassian could let a child have one more birthday, one more class picture.... all the better for it.

“You're overthinking again, Jyn.” She muttered, stepping out of the rental car and slamming the door. April felt in February to her, and she clutched the collar of her coat, missing the warmth of Atlanta. At least she hadn't needed to get too dressed up for dinner.

Sweeping into the lobby area, she frowned when she saw Han wasn't there yet. Typical. According to Leia, almost as soon as he retired he lost his ability to show up on time. Although the warmth in the restaurant combined with the rich smell of spices warmed her instantly, her stomach rumbling in anticipation; her lunch consisted of a McDonald's Happy Meal.

“Cold?” A middle aged man with short dark hair said, and she kept her face even when she noticed he was blind; a golden lab with a guide harness waited at his feet.

“I woke up this morning to seventy-two degrees and sunshine.” she countered, pulling off her coat and stepping aside as another dark haired man sat down beside him. “Who's your four legged friend?”

“Thor.” He laughed, “don't worry, he is well behaved and trained.”

“Best behaved member of the family if you ask me.” the second man said as Jyn folded her coat over her arms. “Pardon me for asking, ma'am, but is your name Leia Solo?”

She blinked, “no, but I know Leia.” She smiled, “you must be Chirrut and Baze. Han told me about you when I ran into him on the plane.”

The man chuckled, “You his sister?”

“Not exactly.” She held out her hand. “Jyn Erso-Andor. I met the Solos when Ben was a teenager.”

The second man took it, giving it a hard squeeze. “Pleasure. Guess that means you're here so Han isn't facing us alone.”

“Purely by chance.” She grinned and took the other man's hand when he offered it. “Um, I'm not certain who's who, if you'll forgive me.”

“Not a problem.” the blind man said, “I'm Chirrut, and I take it Han has already told you what's happened with Ben and our daughter, Rey.”

She snickered, “not in great detail, but yes. Trust me, impulsive behavior is not something Benjamin Solo indulges in with any regularity.”

“Given the vetting process for the show, I don't believe impulsive is the correct term.” Baze interjected, “though I feel our daughter's behavior is out of character as well.” He sighed, “Well, it's their mess to clean up, the best we can do is support them.”

Jyn leaned against the wall, sighing. “True, and I can't remember the last time I had Indian food.”

“You're in for a treat, this is the best place in Denver to get it.” Chirrut stated, “and what do you do, Jyn Erso-Andor?”

“It's just Jyn, please. I'm an architect, I came to Colorado for a presentation, I came a day early because I don't trust Denver weather in April.” She felt rather silly saying it, particularly to total strangers.

“Don't blame you there.” Baze offered, “I don't believe the snow's truly gone until June, and I don't care what people think if I do. And even then, I have a scraper in the backseat year round.”

“It hasn't snowed in June since Xiǎo Hǔ was in grade school. And it was only a flurry.” Chirrut declared.

She barely covered her snort. “If we have a flurry in Atlanta in December, the city shuts down.” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, “can you imagine what would happen if it snowed in Los Angeles?”

“That's a cheap disaster movie.” Baze scoffed, “snow in Sydney, soaring temps in Reykjavik, there's a movie for you.”

“Iceland used thermal heat to make bananas grow, so they might actually embrace warm weather. Though I still say the best reality show of all time will happen if people in Sydney and Calgary swapped houses for two months starting in February.” She answered as the door opened and Han came into the restaurant. “Traffic?”

“Yeah.” He slid a hand through his hair, “sorry to make you all wait.”

“Not a problem, I know what the roads around here are like, and I live in this city.” Baze stood up and walked over to him, giving the other man a once over. “Is your son taller or shorter than you?”

“Taller.” He chuckled, “don't ask me how it happened, all I know, one morning I go to work and I'm looking down at him, I come back five days later and I had to look up.”

Jyn smirked and leaned closer to Chirrut. “Don't believe it. Ben stood on a chair on the return trip.”

The man laughed, shaking his head, “you're a funny one, Mrs. Andor.” He took Thor's harness in one hand, “I think we're the next party. I'm going to need your help to keep those two in check.” He shook his head, “much as it pains me.”

“Oh, let them have their fun. I never turn down free entertainment.” She laughed as a thin woman in a dark green and yellow sari stepped around the hostess stand, menus against her arm.

“I noticed your party had grown from three to four, Mr. Malbus.” she smiled, “your table's ready.”

No one gave them a second look from what she saw as they walked to their seats, taking the chair on Han's left. She'd texted with Leia earlier, and the woman was delighted Han had company for the meeting, since she couldn't attend. Once everyone had sat down and Thor had decided her foot made a much better pillow than Chirrut's, she wondered who would tell the men across the table of her connection to the Solos – her or Han.

Baze kept looking over his menu at her. “You're allowed to eat meat today, yes?”

“What?” She frowned, “I don't understand, why wouldn't I be able to have meat?”

“Your cross.” He inclined his head, “you're some form of Christian, and I know some people of that faith have rules about when you can and cannot have meat.”

“It's a crucifix, Lent's over, and even if it wasn't, the point's moot because it's not Friday.” She smiled, “but I appreciate the thought. Most wouldn't bother to learn. I gave soda up for Lent this year, and now I can't stand the taste of it.”

“When you teach, you never stop learning.” He frowned, “so what does a crucifix mean if it's not the same as a cross?”

“Someone wearing a crucifix is Catholic.” She smiled, looking back down at her menu, “plain crosses you never know. They could be any denomination of Christianity, a goth, or someone who likes to wear pretty jewelry.”

“It's impolite to stare, Baze.” Chirrut offered as he set his menu flat on the table, his fingers slowly moving across the braille, “you know better and can behave more properly in front of dinner guests.”

“Humph.” He replied, “I wasn't staring.” He turned his focus on his menu as Han set his down.

“Baze, Chirrut...I'm only going to say this once.” He gave her a sideways look, “you're allowed to give Leia and I all the shit you want. Jyn however, is completely off-limits. Sixteen years ago, she donated bone marrow and saved my son's life. Case closed, I'm taking no arguments, if you aren't nice to her, you're going to find yourselves sitting at this table alone.”

Jyn felt like crawling under said table as her face went pink. “Han...”

“Thor likes Mrs Andor, Baze. I can tell by her voice she's a remarkably kind woman. You can play bad cop when Xiǎo Hǔ brings her fool of a husband to visit.” Chirrut laughed as the waitress came back over to the table. “And Jyn has done something remarkable, and therefore, has earned a mango lassi.”

“Hear hear.” Han interjected and gave her a wink. “And you know Cassian would agree with him.”

“Lord help me...” she shook her head, “if I ever die from embarrassment, Han Solo, you'll find yourself at the top of the list of suspects for my murder.”

The waitress cleared her throat, clearly trying to keep a straight face. “May I bring you all something to drink?”

“Mango lassi for the lovely life-saving lady and myself.” Chirrut spoke before anyone else could. “Don't worry, I'm not driving.”

“I can't take you anywhere.” Baze muttered, “and that joke is getting old.”

“Not as old as you.” the other man countered, laughing.


	3. Chapter 3

Rey rubbed her hair as she came out of the bathroom, feeling relaxed for the first time since this whole nonsense started. While she and Ben had planned on showering when they first got to New Orleans, hunger had sent them out in search of food almost right after they checked in and dropped their bags in the room. Still full from the meal, she didn't know how the two of them would spend their evening, or rather – how they'd spend time getting to know one another. Ben stood by the bed, organizing his clothes. “Forget to pack anything?”

“Not exactly, more like trying to remember what I packed.” He chuckled, “sorry, I have a terrible tendency to plan clothing for the week. I left my more comfortable stuff at home, because I thought we'd spend our days being tailed by camera people everywhere, and my mother would scream if she knew I still had sweatpants I should have thrown out a long time ago.”

She grinned as she sat down on the end of the bed, “I know exactly what you mean. I stuck to the list of things they suggested I pack, instead of my usual week-long work pack. Which always includes twice as many pairs of socks as days as my trip lasts. After some flights, simply changing socks makes a world of a difference.” She combed her hair with her fingers. “We didn't even change time zones, but I feel like we've gone seven of them over.” She snickered, “nice boxers.”

He smirked, “thank you, my mummy gave them to me last Christmas. Yes, I know I told you I'm Jewish, but my mother gives my father and me socks, underwear and pajama pants on Christmas every year. She calls it practical present day. If I'm with my parents for the holiday, we of course go out for the traditional Jewish Christmas Day meal. Chinese food.”

“Sounds like something a mother would do, my dads don't buy me clothes, except for shoes. I tell them they don't need to do it, but I know I'm never going to win the argument with Dad about how I don't need a new pair. He goes off on some tangent how a young lady can never have too many pairs of shoes.” She sighed, “once again, here we are, with no idea how to play the get to know you game.”

“Okay, we're both Millennials, what's your Hogwarts house?” He grinned, “since it falls under the default question of the quickest way to get to know someone.”

“Sounds like something a Ravenclaw would say.” She returned the smile, picking up the towel and carrying it back to the bathroom. “Slytherin. It means never having to question your motives.”

“Now I know my mother's going to love you. She's a Slytherin too. And yes, I am a Ravenclaw.” He said, “my dad's a Hufflepuff.” his cellphone started to ring. “And.... Aunt Jyn's calling me.”

Rey hung the towel to dry, coming back into the room. They hadn't moved on to extended families in their conversations. Well, something to talk about when he'd finished. She picked up her comb and started to work it through her hair, only half listening to his conversation.

“So you're in Denver. What...” he glanced at her, “sure, I'm fine with it.” Rey didn't know what the woman said next, but something – something made his whole face change, “yeah. Yeah you should do that. Dad's on blood pressure medicine, so...yeah.” He met her gaze, “yes, I'm minding my manners. No, I haven't done anything my mother would ground me for.”

She resumed her seat on the foot of the bed, easing the tangles from her hair, keeping her focus on the bedspread and the folded boxers in front of Ben. She had the strangest urge to unpack her whole bag so he could see her underthings – make it equal, or something.

“You two have fun, and tell Uncle Cassian hi when he calls. No, I did not tell Rose what Taj is really doing.” He let out a weak laugh, “I'm not going to ruin the surprise. it's simply sheer dumb luck I'm here in New Orleans.”

She frowned, catching up on what Ben had said. Did his dad go to Denver to meet her dads?

“Love you too.” He hung up, tossing the phone on the bed, “well, that's a little weird, convenient, but weird.”

“What?” She tapped the comb against her leg, “Is Jyn your mom's sister or your dad's sister?”

“Neither.” He sat down next to her on the bed. “Uh... back when I had cancer, I needed a bone marrow transplant.” He gave her a wan smile, “Aunt Jyn, as I call her, donated the bone marrow which saved my life.”

“Oh.” She reached over and set a hand on his back, rubbing it in slow circles. “Guess that does kind of elevate her to aunt status instantly.” she felt a little more certain and moved closer to him. “I'm glad she was there.”

“Me too.” His arm came around her waist, giving her a side hug. “Her husband, Cassian, was the donor who saved Rose's life.”

“Wow.” Rey pinched the bridge of her nose, “I don't have any aunts or uncles, that I've ever met – my dads' families aren't exactly... uh....” she looked for the right word. “Well, you know how some people are when they find out their children are homosexuals. They cease to exist.”

“And how.” He rested his chin on her head. “This okay?”

“Yeah,” she leaned forward so she could set her head on his shoulder, “this is nice.” she swallowed, “Did your dad go to Denver?”

“Uh huh. Aunt Jyn turned up in the row behind him on the plane and they never noticed, from Atlanta all the way to Colorado. Which, if my dad slept and she read, I can completely understand.” He rubbed her upper arm, letting out a breath. “She's an architect, she does a lot of houses, although she did design a high school in the suburbs of Charleston. Memorial something, I want to say Eisenhower High, or some other pre-Kennedy president.”

She snickered, “either way, pretty cool. What about your Uncle Cassian?”

“Another pilot – international for American Airlines.” He coughed, “he's probably landing in New Delhi right about now.”

“Fifteen hours from Chicago, no thank you. The nine hours to London is bad enough.” She shuddered, “I don't even want to think about what a flight to Australia is like.” She set her comb down as her phone started ringing, and she winced at the ring-tone. “I hate when he does this.”

“Who?” Ben sat down on the bed as she grabbed her phone from where she left it. “Rocket man?”

“He thinks he is.” she gave him a wry smile as she hit the talk button, “Poe Dameron, if you're flying or driving, you hang up this instant and call me back when you arrive at your destination!”

“Oh, you know me better than that, Peanut.” Poe sounded exceptionally chipper; he must finally have gotten off flying overnights and got a decent amount of sleep for once. He was the only person she knew who operated more on coffee and energy drinks than she did. “I'm not interrupting your vacation am I?”

“Not really.” she rolled her eyes and lowered the phone, giving Ben a bemused smile, “coworker.”

“Ah.” Ben answered and started putting his boxers in a stack, picking them up and stuffing them back into his bag. “Sounds like a troublemaker.'”

“Did you go on a singles cruise, Miss Îmwe-Malbus?” Poe admonished, and said something in Spanish she couldn't make out. “and not tell me? I heard whomever is in the room with you, or are you in public?”

She rolled her eyes, wondering how he could think she'd ever go one of those. Until yesterday, she was single, not desperate.“Not exactly, the reality show I landed a role on had a major hiccup, not my fault, and now... I'm on a vacation in New Orleans at their expense.”

“You're in New Orleans too?” He laughed, “Fantastic! I'm just calling to get your advice on the best places to eat around here. You can find good food for cheap better than half the pilots in the air. I'm only in town for the night, and I wanted to eat early so I get to bed at a reasonable hour, so I'm not spending my time waiting for a table, and besides, I can't eat pizza all the time. Have to take an Airbus to Anchorage in the morning. And if I can have the pleasure of your company, all the better for it. We need to catch up, sounds like you've had quite the time since last we talked.”

“Yuck. Alaska in April, you have my sympathy.” She shot a look at Ben, “what are you in the mood to eat? The local specialties or something of the usual fare?”

“Either. My whole dining experience cannot take place without you, Peanut. I need someone to keep my mind on my duties.” He laughed.

“You need a keeper, that's for damn sure.” She saw Ben pick up the notepad on the bedside table and scribble down a note.

“I'm going to have company with me, Poe, so I expect your best behavior. Even if you're a captain and I'm still short of the title by two thousand hours.” She lifted her chin, “and you still didn't answer what kind of food you're wanting.”

“Say when and where, Peanut, I'll be there in proper dress.” He laughed, “I knew you had a secret boyfriend you didn't want to talk about on all those long flights.”

“What are you, fourteen?” She rolled her eyes as Ben wrote another note down – they should invest in wipe off boards at this point and save paper.

“Poe, you staying at the hideaway, or are you actually in a hotel for a change?” She saw Ben pick up his phone.

“Airport Holiday Inn, I had a free night's stay almost ready to expire – and quite honestly, I could do with a decent dinner. I've only had cereal for the past week,” he chuckled, “can't eat Cheerios every night – and who's in the room with you? You didn't answer me.”

“No.” She let out a breath, “uh, did you remember what reality show I tried out for?”

“You know how I am, Peanut. Learn and purge – it's a miracle I can remember half our coworkers. I remember their pets better than anything else.” He laughed, “wait.... did you get rejected from _The Bachelor_? I'll break his nose if he broke your heart!”

“Please. No, I told you, the show went to pot because of other people. I married a total stranger yesterday.” She heard him suck in a breath, “and no, before you ask, I never wanted you to set me up with one of your friends. They'd all expect me to know how to cook.”

“Point.” He let out a whistle. “Is he cute?”

She gave Ben a look, wondering if she could run away and hide in a broom closet for the rest of the trip. “Of all the things you could ask me about my husband, you ask me if he's cute.”

Ben folded his arms and leaned against the wall, his face pulling into a pout. “Am I cute, Gingersnap?”

“Insufferable is more like it.” She shook her head, “he thinks I'm cute, has a nice job, a good relationship with his parents and willingly let my dads call him a fool. Once I try his cooking, I'll have a full report to give you.” She sighed, “I know, it's a weird concept.”

“I've heard worse.” A rustling noise came from his end, “there's a whole book of pamphlets in the bedside table, almost half of them proclaiming I have to eat raw oysters. I'm not eating those before a long haul flight.”

“I wouldn't eat them ever, and you know my feelings about eating sushi.” She lowered the phone as Ben picked up his, “no oyster bars, and nothing too expensive or dressy.”

He nodded, “does Italian work for him?” He kept his focus on the device in his hands, “not too spicy, not too touristy. I for one, like to hear myself think when I go out for a meal. There's a place called Arabella over on St. Claude Avenue, Rose states it's the best Italian without spending an arm and a leg.”

“Always a good thing,” she countered, “you okay with Italian food? I know you're not wanting to eat pizza, but I'm sure there's plenty of other things on the menu. Arabella?”

“Who goes to an Italian restaurant and orders pizza?” he chuckled, “I'm good with Italian.” she heard a loud thump from his end of the line. “Ow.”

“What happened?” She glanced over at Ben, who kept his focus on his phone, rapidly firing off a text to someone – well, probably to Rose. “Sounded painful.”

“My hip met the corner of the dresser instead of the dresser drawer.” he groaned and there was another thump, “I made it to the bed, I'm good.” He coughed, “I think.”

“Are you or are you not the guy who played rugby on concrete?” She snickered, “don't worry, I don't think you'll need to wear a tie, and the dinner party will consist of four people.”

“Oh, is there another lady or gentleman present whom you have not married?” He countered loudly.

“Please let him know Rose isn't available. Saying the wrong thing to her is to invoke my big brother mode, and he doesn't want to see that.” Ben answered, an edge to his voice.

Rey rolled her eyes, “Poe, you need to act like your abuela is at the table, my husband's bringing a good friend of his, and he's super protective of her. “Can you meet us there a little before seven?” She worried her bottom lip; she knew involving friends at this point well – okay, there wasn't a precedent for this, but it might go a long way to easing the tension.

“I'll be on my best behavior.” He chuckled, “see you at seven, Peanut.” he ended the call before she could.

“Trust me, Poe Dameron's not as obnoxious as he tends to act. He's just...” She dropped her phone on the bed, “he loves to use the drama, as you put it.”

“Rose says she'll see us at Arabella, and to not even think about asking her to share an order of tiramisu.” He slumped down onto the bed. “A guide of some kind really would have helped. Questions, suggestions on what to do – something.”

She fell down as well, her hand brushing against his hair – just as soft as she imagined it, and she resisted the urge to start running her fingers through it. “You think we can trade in the hotel and whatnot for a rental car and drive to the Grand Canyon? I've never seen it – and really, if we're in a car, we can play an endless game of twenty questions.”

“Do you know how insane that sounds?” He chuckled, “although it's not a terrible idea, and you've chosen an excellent destination.”

*

Rose tried not to think too much about the strangeness of this whole scenario. When Ben showed up outside the truck this afternoon and announced what had happened, she'd wanted to smack him upside the head. Of course, it wasn't like she had a host of friends whom she could introduce him to, and in his line of work, he had to watch for women who weren't looking for a relationship, but a leg-up. Disgusting. From what she'd observed, Rey seemed perfectly nice – and funny. Funny was what he needed, not vapid and vain.

Arriving first at Arabella wasn't a surprise to her. Ben was notoriously early for everything, but, if he had company, he always ran late. She glanced over the top of her menu as the hostess escorted a man, around Ben's age, over to the table. She arched an eyebrow, refusing to show emotion. “You're Rey's friend, I take it?”

“Yeah.” He grinned, holding out his hand, “Poe Dameron, and you?”

She set the menu down and took his hand, shaking it before he sat. “Rose Tico, I run a food truck with my sister, and I have a boyfriend who plays professional hockey.”

To his credit, his smile didn't waver. “Poe Dameron, FedEx captain, and I resent my coworker thinking I'm the Latin Captain Jack Harkness.”

“You like _Doctor Who_ , so you get a point in the decent column. Provided you know the series didn't begin with Christopher Eccleston.” She took a drink of water as the waitress set down a glass of water in front of Poe, along with a menu. “Don't ask to split a dessert with me. I never share sweets.”

“Same.” He chuckled, “unless it's cookies my abuela sent me. She'll know if I didn't share them, which is her whole intent in sending me two dozen when she does. And my favorite classic era Doctor is Sylvester McCoy.”

“My gran doesn't bake, but she does make some excellent soup.” She countered as the hostess returned, this time with Rey and Ben. “You're late.”

“I'm never late.” Her friend leaned down and kissed her cheek, “everyone else is simply early. And don't give me grief for quoting _The Princess Diaries_ , we saw that movie together, thank you.”

Rey snickered, “sorry, we had traffic to contend with.” She gave Ben an odd look as he pulled out her chair. “Why did you...” she sat down when Rose gestured towards the seat. “First time for everything, I guess.”

“Yeah.” Ben pushed her chair in and slid in the seat next to Rose. The seating arrangement felt a little odd; sitting next to her friend while he faced Rey, and Poe faced her,though he seemed more keen to look Ben over than her. All the better for it. “This isn't the most uncomfortable table I've sat at.” He grinned, “Aunt Jyn says hi, by the way.”

“Amazing Aunt Jyn.” She picked up her menu, “and Incredible Uncle Cassian.” she caught the look Poe gave them, before turning to Rey.

“You know what they're talking about, Peanut?”

“Long story, I'll tell you some other time.” She breathed, “Poe, this is Ben, Ben this Poe. We've taken a few Airbuses to Europe and various parts of Central America together.”

Ben held out his hand and the two men shook, “nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Poe gave Rey another sideways glance, “so you both live in Memphis?” He shifted his attention back to the menu, “Rose, you're the local, what's good here?”

“Everything. I usually build my own pasta bowl.” This was going to turn into the dinner of looks before too long, “Aunt Jyn and Uncle Cassian are okay, right Con thỏ ?”

“Just fine, she's in Denver, currently preparing to sit down to dinner with my dad and Rey's dads. Our uncle is somewhere in Asia, probably asleep.”

“You've got two dads, Rey?” She smiled, “That's pretty cool.”

The younger woman held up her hands, “why couldn't the people I went to high school with be as chill about it as you guys?”

“Because most people are assholes in high school.” she replied, “and here I thought everyone in Colorado was laid back and open minded.”

“It's the state's guilty secret. Don't let anyone know I told you.” She answered as the waitress returned.

“Can I bring you anything else to drink?” She set water glasses down in front of Rey and Ben. “Or a salad to start off with?”

The need for roughage was apparently on all their minds tonight; Rose found it slightly amusing that she and Ben ordered the same thing – spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese and pecans, while Rey and Poe both ordered the Cesar. She'd long maintained any salad someone else makes tastes a thousand times better than one you made for yourself.

Breakfast fell under the description too.

“So how did the rest of the day in the truck treat you?” Ben asked once the waitress had left. “No terrible customers?”

“Same old, same old – I'm just glad Paige and I always call it a night around five. There's too much competition after sundown, and really, it's a wonder we're never chased out of the French Quarter by some half-crazed chef hopped up on thinking there's something wrong with not charging for atmosphere.” She shot a look at Poe, “you like bahn mi sandwiches?”

He shifted in his chair, “The ones I've had, yes.” He cleared his throat, “I don't live in Memphis, I live in Miami, or as I call it, Hurricane Alley.”

“You only refuse to move to Tennessee because you claim to like the ocean. Like you can't go and see it when you fly there.” Rey interjected, “I love the mountains, but then I remember the lovely winters of my childhood in Colorado.”

“No thank you.” Ben stated before she could say anything. “Snow's pretty to look at it, but not to drive in.”

“No kidding.” Rey added as the waitress returned and set their salads in front of them.

“Are we ready to order?” The woman inquired, drawing her order pad out of her apron.

The requests turned out identical again; except now she and Poe matched, and Rey and Ben did. If she didn't know better, Rose half expected Taj to show up with Candid Camera.

“So what do you do, Ben?” Poe asked once the waitress left. “I didn't give Rey a chance to tell me.”

“I'm an extras and locations casting agent.” He grinned, “I don't find stars, I find spear carriers.” he turned to her. “Is that still an acceptable polite term? I can't keep track of what's okay and what's not these days.”

“Given the fact you do a lot of work with Civil War reenactors, wouldn't the proper term be saber-rattlers?” She chuckled, stabbing a strawberry.

“Bayonet swinger?” He shook his head, “something along those lines. Do a lot of work, get a little thanks, and, if the producers aren't total assholes, an invite to one of the premieres.”

“We have the boring job, Peanut.” Poe sliced a pepper in half, “but we don't have to worry about rowdy passengers, and packages don't mind the turbulence.” He shrugged, “a lot of stamps in the passport.”

Rey made a slight face, “It's all fun and games until some hot-shot exec in their overpriced private plane demands to know what you're doing on _their_ runway.” she managed a smile, “I suspect you have your share of customer service stories.”

“And how.” She paused, “okay, if Poe calls you Peanut, Rey – what do you call him?”

“Harkness.” She sighed, setting her fork down. “The past few days have revealed a slew of nicknames – most of which only certain people are allowed to call us by.” She grinned at Ben, “right, Fluffy?”

Rose gaped as Ben showed no reaction other than to take a sip of water. “Yes, Gingersnap.”

“Miss Tico?” Poe cleared his throat, picking up his fork, “you want to make a bet?”

“If it's how long it takes for these two to fall head-over-heels in love, I give it by the first of August.” She grinned, “if I'm wrong, I'll send you the Dunkin Donuts card Ben's not getting for the reality show bet.”

Both Rey and Ben went pink.

“I'll take your bet. I say it'll happen by Independence Day.” He started to laugh as their friends went even redder.

“You finished or do you have another round of embarrassment to give?” Ben managed, taking another drink of water.

“Okay, I'll behave.” She sat back, picking up her fork, “but you did turn up at my counter with a wife this afternoon. I figure that's a week's worth of teasing.”

“Yes, and you're just over excited you won the bet against Paige when she felt certain I'd turn up with a husband instead.” He retorted, turning his attention to his salad.

It was her turn to blush as Poe started to laugh. “Rey, you failed to mention your husband has a decent sense of humor. Shame on you.” He grinned, “and is Paige single?”

“Paige Tico would eat you alive and not get a drop of blood on her.” Ben sighed, “and Rose has already hidden enough bodies in the swamp for her if she simply kills you with her eyes.”

Rey cleared her throat, “I'm certain you helped her toss a few in, Fluffy.”

“No one saw us leave, no one saw us there, you can't prove anything.” Rose declared, spearing a tomato with her fork.

*

Leia covered a yawn before shutting the door of the dryer and turning it on. For as long as she could remember, the last thing she did before leaving home for a number of days was clean all the clothes in her laundry basket. Coming home from extended stays at St. Jude's in Memphis to find her underwear drawer completely empty one too many times had made the task almost automatic. Sure, she was going away for a week, but still...

“I'm overthinking this.” She shook her head and went into the kitchen to check the fridge for things which could turn into mold monsters during her absence. “I sent Han away on holiday to Florida and I haven't made a single thing I love that he hates.” Shrugging, she took out the half-gone gallon of milk and the pint of blueberries and set them on the counter. “Might as well make pancakes to freeze.”

It was either cook things or start looking for reception venues in Memphis, and she had absolutely no right to start doing such things until she met her son's in-laws. Of course, they might want to hold such a gathering in Denver, it depended on a great deal of things. Having the party where Ben and Rey both lived made the most sense. She went into the pantry and grabbed the pancake mix, shaking her head. Since she knew she was always to play the role of mother of the groom, the only wedding thing she ever had thought over was what to have for the rehearsal dinner.

When Ben was going through chemo, she'd sit and plan for future events, things like his graduation parties, dinners, celebrations she wanted to have, because she flatly refused to think of having to prepare a funeral.

She'd gone as far to write down the dates for every single Lent until the year twenty-twenty, on the off-chance Ben fell in love with a Catholic.

Not all of her plans and chosen menus made it, Ben had chosen a simple dinner out at his favorite restaurant when he graduated high school, rather than any form of party. She chuckled as she measured out the flour. Her son was never one for big gatherings, so the whole idea of having a wedding reception almost felt silly.

“I'm going to need to do something besides make pancakes to freeze.” she grimaced as she emptied the entire contents of the box into the mixing bowl. She tapped the bowl to level the mix and checked the measuring gauge on one side. “I just need to leave enough milk for breakfast tomorrow morning.” she sighed as her cell rang. “wonder who...” she looked at the number and laughed before answering. “What time is it where you are, Cassian?”

“Half past ten in the morning.” he laughed, “Jyn left me the most absurd text message, and felt I better call you and get the story direct.”

“If this is in regards to what Ben has done, I'm still processing the whole story myself.” she chuckled, turning the phone to speaker. “I'm headed out to Colorado tomorrow.”

“Ah, then you're cooking.” Cassian cleared his throat, “in a bit of a rush, considering you didn't know about this marriage until last night.”

“It may not be a true family emergency, but it has a similar feel.” She set the griddle pan on the stove. “Well, I suppose the good news of all this is, the show went to pot so Ben and Rey don't have to have a camera shoved in their faces for the next two months.” She checked the box for how much milk she needed to add. “how's the weather in India?”

“Hot.” he sighed, “my flight back is tomorrow, and I'm debating what to indulge in for lunch, as I want to sleep tonight.”

“Naan.” she grinned, “naan and paneer.” she blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Darn it, now I want some naan.”

He laughed, “I'd send you some if I thought it would arrive intact. But alas, naan is one of those things best eaten fresh out of the oven.”

“True.” she leaned back against the island, folding her arms. “and now I know I'm going to have to call Amilyn before tomorrow.” she shook her head, already imagining what her friend was going to say to all of this. “I'm still having trouble believing it's happened.”

“Understandable.” he said, “but not to worry, our dear Rose will read him the riot act for the rest of us. Nothing quite so frightening as when Miss Tico gets going.”

Leia closed her eyes, fighting back a wince. “And how. Though I'm a little worried for Rey, because I know for a fact that when Ben and Rose get together, they can cause plenty of trouble. Like the time they convinced all the nurses and aides to wear scrubs the color of sports teams that awful resident hated when March Madness started.”

Cassian laughed, “one might argue that man had it coming.” he said something in Spanish she couldn't make out. “I still think the little girl who threw up on his new white sneakers only made the whole incident better. And they didn't arrange for that.”

“When a child you know is sick tells you their stomach hurts, you believe them, not insist they eat more Jell-O to help stay hydrated.” Leia grinned and got to work getting the mix together. “I wonder what ever happened to that guy.”

“Probably went into pathology. Not much need for an exemplary bedside manner in that line of medicine.” there was a rustle on his end. “Besides, you can't expect your shoes to remain pristine in any line of work. I still shine my shoes, even if it's one of the last things a passenger is going to notice.”

“Protocols.” She added the blueberries. “I think I just about cried the day the dress-code in my department went from business formal to business casual. The dramatic decline in my dry-cleaning bill meant I could get more shoes.”

He laughed. “Jyn would completely agree with you. I may not get the obsession you two have with shoes, but if it's like mine with books...”

“Books are a different subject entirely.” she got out a spoon, “although there's having books and reading said books.”

“And the last time you weeded your shelves was when, Doctor Solo?” he quipped.

Leia paused, “that's exactly what I need Han to do when we get back from Colorado. I need a new bookshelf.”

*

Ben fell back on the bed, groaning. “Okay, I think I've had my weekly intake of carbs in a single day.” He let out a sigh as Rey laid down next to him, kicking off her heels. “Your feet feeling okay?”

“Yeah. I should remember a little Poe Dameron goes a long way.” she threw her arm over her eyes. “but all things considered, dinner wasn't half bad. Good food, even better company.”

He toed off his shoes, sighing. “I forward the motion we sleep in tomorrow. Late as we want.”

“Agreed.” she rolled over and off the bed. “It's definitely pajama time.” She padded over to her bag, “well, more like two hours ago. I hope Poe's flight isn't super early.”

“It supposed to rain tomorrow,” he rolled over onto his front and watched her take out the same clothes she'd worn to bed last night. “An automatic reason to stay put.” He yawned, “after the past two days, we need a lazy one.”

She nodded, looking back at him, “you can have the bathroom first. I take longer than you do.”

“Thanks.” He got to his feet, getting his sleep clothes from his bag as he went towards the bath, “get ready for bed, get into our usual positions, go to sleep.” He yawned and shut the door, setting the garments down next to the sink. Their toiletry bags stood side by side on the counter, the whole scenario looking perfectly domestic; and he shrugged out of his clothes and pulled on his pajama pants. He and Rey couldn't learn everything about each other in this short time span before they returned to Memphis; nothing more than the basics, and major factors – but little things, things you didn't think about until you came to them...

“You're overthinking again.” He sighed, taking out his toothbrush. “Two days and it already feels like two weeks.” Well, he might consider the statement an exaggeration. Too much had happened in the last thirty-six hours. What the two of them desperately needed was a good night's sleep and a day of doing absolutely nothing. They could lie around in the hotel room and watch TV, or something of that nature.

Turning the sink on, he got to work brushing his teeth. The off-hand idea from this afternoon of driving to the Grand Canyon came back to him, though he wasn't sure how far it was from their current location – few rental car places would let you return the car from a place other than where you got it from. Still... it had an appeal to it. Alone in the car for several days would give them plenty of time to talk, get to know one another....

If they couldn't handle each other for two days in a rented minivan then they might as well file for divorce as soon as they returned to Memphis.

“Holy shit, you're stacked.” Rey's voice caused him to jump as he rinsed his brush and turned off the water. “Sorry, I....”

“I didn't hear you knock, if you did.” he put the toothbrush back in its holder, “and don't worry about it. It's not the first time a girl's seen me without a shirt. Every time I go swimming, for example.”

“That's different.” She wouldn't meet his gaze. “I should have known you'd have an eight pack.”

He tugged on his shirt, deciding not to tease her about her embarrassment. “Thank you?” He stepped over to her and put a hand on her chin. “Hey... what did you need?”

Her face went all the more pink. “Would you believe me if I said I forgot? My brain sort of short circuited, and now...”

Ben kissed the top of her head. “See if you can't think of it while you're cleaning up, I promise, I won't disturb you.” He stepped past her into the room and shut the bathroom door firmly behind him. “And before you say anything, I _am_ being nice, Gingersnap.”

“Insufferable Fluffy!” She retorted and he laughed as he went to turn down the covers.

The bed here was significantly larger than the one they'd shared in Memphis. He flung the duvet cover onto the floor; he never trusted hotels to keep the things clean. He picked up their discarded shoes and set them by their bags. People with issues about high-rise hotels never had to deal with street noise during their stays in shorter, more aesthetically pleasing places – from their vantage point on the twenty-first floor, they had a lovely view of the Mississippi River, the French Quarter – and all the traffic they currently weren't a part of.

He left the curtains open as he turned down the sheets, trying to calm his thoughts. The whole subject of intimacy – at least, in terms of sex, was on the list of things which would not happening between the two of them any time soon. They'd agreed on it last night over dinner; things were complicated enough, and adding sex to the mix this early was like sleeping with someone on the first date. A month, they decided, was enough time before they came to crossing that bridge.

Snuggling however – perfectly fine.

Ben still remained prepared to sleep on the floor if she wanted him to. Although in the brief time he'd known her, she'd insist he call up for a cot bed. Which was almost as bad – he'd not fit into a regular sized bed lengthways in over ten years.

“Road trip.” Rey stated as she came into the room. “The idea of taking a road trip. You still think it's a good idea?”

He shrugged, “the trouble isn't getting to the Grand Canyon, the trouble is getting back. Not to mention by the time we could arrange it all, we'd have, at best, eight hours at the Canyon, and judging from the photographs, that's nowhere near enough time.”

“True.” she went around to the other side of the bed and got under the covers, sighing. “though it's late enough in the year we don't have to worry about snow.” She chuckled, “shame our parents live so far apart, or we could make a circuit to visit them.”

“There's not another three day weekend coming up, unless your dads have to teach after Memorial Day. But I doubt Denver calls school off enough for that to happen.” He turned on the bedside lamp before turning off the main light and getting into the bed. “Though something tells me they'll show up in Memphis before this month's out.”

“There's something to discuss tomorrow. Talk about the moving thing.” She sighed, leaning back against the headboard. “Guess it's pretty obvious it's easier for me to move into your place. Like I said yesterday, pretty much all I do at my studio is sleep, shower and do laundry. I don't even have that much to pack up.”

Ben looked down at his hands, feeling sheepish. “I'm sorry.”

“Why?, it's not your fault. More than half of my belongings are still in Rubbermaid totes at my dads' house. I take a few things back to Memphis with me every time I visit, but....” she shook her head, “I just need some serious bookshelves.”

“You like to read?” He gave her a sideways smile. “and have you flatly refused to part with any books in your collection since you started it?”

“Guilty as charged.” she grinned, covering a yawn. “Well, some of my childhood books vanished when I wasn't looking – and neither of my dads will tell me where they went. Probably to a church or school library.”

“I know the feeling.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “I have a lot of books too. Fiction, non-fiction, and a shelf full of bound annotated screenplays. Not all of them for films I helped with casting on.” He sighed, “I flip through them every now and then, more for the notes than to read the text.”

“One of those things people connected to the film industry give one another for presents, or something?” She laid down, adjusting her pillows.

“Yeah. They weren't used by big-name actors or actresses either.” He shrugged, “usually it's from someone in the crew,” he set up his phone and charger. “which makes for a lot of lovely notes about suppliers. The technical departments seem divided on which is better, Home Depot or Lowe's.”

“I bet.” she yawned as she set her own phone to charge. “So do you have a district or something where it's your location to look?”

“Basically anything below the Mason-Dixon line on the east side of the Mississippi. Or to put it another way, any state which formed the Confederate States of America excluding Texas and Florida but including Maryland and Kentucky.” He turned out the light and slid under the covers, setting a pillow between his legs. “I can rattle off the name of twenty towns which could pass for any time before nineteen seventy, if you remember to CGI the mobile phone towers and the occasional modern billboard advert out.”

“They remember to take care of big things like that – and yet, you can see a kid with a digital watch in the classroom in _A Christmas Story_ though I'm guessing the kid thought his shirt cuff would hide it, or or something.” There was a rustling noise and a moment later, he felt her face pressed against his back. “trouble with hotel duvets – they're almost never clean, but they add warmth.”

“You're cold?” He looked back at her, “you want me to turn the AC off?”

“No.” She mumbled, snuggling closer to him. “You're warm enough.” she took a breath, “so Armitage's not really in Las Vegas?”

He chuckled, “well, he was – he left the event early to return to his parent's house in Minnesota.” he smiled, “he's got a ring for Rose he wants to get. And before you ask, yes, Paige knows what he's doing.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey's Marriage: Day 2, and the newlyweds spend a day indoors getting to know one another. Leia heads to Denver, and, once the kids learn, decide they might as well head to the Mile High City for a family gathering. Jyn tells Chirrut something important about the Solo family.

Ben came out of the shower the next morning to find Rey looking absolutely miserable from her place in the bed, glowering at nothing in particular. He pushed his damp hair out of his face and walked across to join her, setting a hesitant hand on her shoulder. “Are you feeling okay?”

“No.” her eyes narrowed, “cramps.” she kept shooting daggers at him. “and no, I'm not sorry if it disgusts you.”

He coughed, pulling away and picking up his phone. “Lady parts acting the way they're designed to doesn't gross me out. I spent the better part of puberty in a chemo ward, and we used to compare puke colors and discern the contents for fun. Now, if you tell me you bleed chartreuse or some color other than red, I might become a little concerned.” He scrolled through to his Target App. “So, since we agreed to spend the day in, do you need anything from Target? Lady products, chocolate, highly specific flavor of Lay's potato chips?”

Rey grumbled as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. “You're serious, aren't you?”

“I never joke before breakfast. Besides, I understand the need for comfort food.” He gave her a smile, “look at the bright side, you get to lounge around and nurse your cramps, instead of having to work and keep your discomfort hidden because the guy in the other seat still has the mindset of a fifteen year old.”

“Yeah, yeah...” she let out a breath, “do you even know where to find the nearest Target?”

“According to the app, it's a fifteen minute drive, if the traffic behaves, and I don't get lost with all the one way streets.” He scanned his usual list of snacks, “seriously, is there anything you want or need?”

“Dill Pickle Lays, Jalapeno Cheetos, caramel rice cakes, and Sprite.” She paused, “can I use your phone so I make sure I get the right kind of tampons?”

“Absolutely.” he handed her the device. “but don't think I'm going to kiss you after you eat any of those. Not unless you brush your teeth first.” He ducked as she struck him with a pillow. “Fine, no kisses at all.”

“Has anyone other than Rose told you that you're insufferable?” She tapped his phone a few times before handing it back to him, “and don't think I'm sharing my snacks.”

“I'll get my own chips, don't worry. I'll submit the order, head downstairs to bring back some decent coffee and breakfast, and you find us something to watch on television.” He gave her a half smile, “or take a long shower, whatever you want to do.”

Rey gave him a sideways look, “you don't have some wife in an insane asylum do you?, because you're definitely too good to be true.”

“No.” He kept his gaze on the phone, “besides, I'm a little too young to pass as Mr. Rochester, don't you think?”

“Depends, are we talking today's terms or the time in which the novel's set?” She slid out of bed, moving slowly towards the bathroom. “so glad the cameras are gone.” She grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas from her bag. “no sprinkles on my doughnuts, please.”

“More for me then.” Ben chuckled as he stood, slipping his phone into his back pocket and pulled on his sandals, taking up the room key. “take all the time you need. We have nothing planned, no place we need to go today.” He ducked out of the room as he heard the bathroom door shut.

He didn't see many people out and about in the hotel this time of the morning; New Orleans thrived on nightlife, and given the time of the week, most of the travelers came here on business, rather than any form of entertainment. He showed his room key to the person at the counter in front of the breakfast room, moving mostly on autopilot as he filled two containers with doughnuts, turkey bacon, and fruit. Lots of fruit.

In his estimation, he and Rey seemed to get along extremely well. Day three of their marriage and he felt things working out far better than he had dared to hope. In truth, he hadn't expected to get paired with someone he'd actually relate to in the slightest. He'd seen the show in the past, and knew the compatibility experts were idiots. They had put him and Rey together not because they thought they would make a perfect couple, but instead looking for drama.

Because nothing said drama like a Jewish boy who outwardly ticked all the 'proper' boxes for the usual audience, and a somewhat-lax Buddhist girl with two dads.

Now the show wouldn't follow them around and somehow, it seemed all the better this way.

He balanced two large cups of coffee with lids on top of the containers and made his way back upstairs. Well, getting to know one another without a camera in the corner made everything easier.

Rey hadn't left the bathroom as he set their breakfast on the little table in the corner and his phone buzzed – one hour and thirty minutes until their order was ready. Kicking off his sandals, Ben sat on the foot of the bed and turned the television on, flipping through the channels, stopping on the local CBS station – good to know that no matter where you went in the country, you could count on some things remaining constant. Like The Price is Right showing up at around ten in the morning.

“I love watching this show – some people have no idea what things cost.” Rey's voice came from the bathroom and she crossed over to the small table, opening up the boxes, and taking a sip from the other coffee cup. “I thought you didn't eat bacon.”

“It's turkey bacon, I ate it yesterday too.” he grinned at her over the rim of his cup, “no kidding about people not knowing prices. Particularly when it comes to cars. I go to take mine into the dealer for an oil change and I'm scared to even breathe near some of the cars in the showroom.”

“I know what you mean.” she brought the container with the bacon and fruit with her to the bed as she sat. “My Papa loves this show. Yes, blind people watch television.”

“Did I say anything?” He picked up a slice of melon, wrapping a piece of bacon around it. “Or did you mistake me for some of the assholes you went to high school with again?”

“Sorry.” she grumbled, more to her coffee than to him. “I tend to always go on the defense when my dads are involved, so having someone I've only known a short time not act weird feels a little... weird too.”

He chuckled, “well, you're still waking up to have taken my head off completely, so I'll give it a pass on the basis you haven't had enough coffee yet.”

“Insufferable Fluffy.” she muttered, taking another drink of coffee and they settled into the show and breakfast.

*

Leia covered a yawn as she waited for her plane to begin boarding. She had left plenty of material for her TA, and remembered to text Han to let him know she was on her way. While it might fall into the category of impulsive, she needed to join her husband, and those two kids down in New Orleans were going to need the support of all four parents.

Besides, Han didn't have the best of the pictures of Ben, and really, her son should have expected she'd take off as soon as she could get away from the university. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to read the text.

_Let me know when your flight is scheduled to land. I'll come pick you up._

She chuckled and fired off a reply.

_Right now, we haven't even boarded. Severe weather keeping me grounded in Atlanta._

She would much rather stay down here, off the plane, out of the sky and safe than go up in a thunderstorm.

_Don't worry, Denver isn't going anywhere. I got talked into coming to the school tomorrow. Guess a retired airline pilot is exciting to little kids._

She laughed, shaking her head.

_How could you forget? Ben's classmates acted extremely jealous in third grade because his dad had a 'cool' job._

Tucking her phone back into her bag, she turned her focus to the window and the driving rain falling outside. She had chosen to fly into Atlanta as opposed to another hub like Memphis or Chicago, because of the shortness of the layover. Right now, she wished she'd waited the extra two hours in North Carolina and flown to Houston instead.

“I should get something to eat.” She muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. Even though she knew airport food was massively overpriced, the need to put something in her stomach kept attempting to take over other thoughts. She picked up her bags, glancing once more at the board in front of her gate. “United flight seven one three to Denver, boarding in two hours.” she sighed and headed towards the concourse. “I definitely need a snack.”

Food would make things a little more bearable.

“Leia?” A voice called from behind her and she froze; of all the places... “Leia!”

She squared her shoulders and kept moving. She would not turn around and acknowledge she heard her brother calling to her. She didn't want to look at him, didn't want to speak to him, hell, she didn't want to share a time zone with him. It was bad enough they had to share a hemisphere.

“Leia!” Luke called again, and this time she felt his hand on her arm, and she wheeled on her foot to face him.

“What the hell do you want?” She kept her shock hidden; he'd gotten so much older since the last time she saw him. Fifteen years? He'd aged twice that, judging from the gray hair and lines criss crossing his face.

“What are you doing here?” Luke straightened a little, his expression uncertain. Good.

“I would have thought what I'm doing in an airport obvious. I'm waiting for a plane.” she rolled her eyes and started walking again. “And I don't want to speak to you.”

“I want to explain...” he started after her.

“Explain what?!” she turned, her raised voice causing several other people to turn and stare. “You nearly killed my son and you want to _explain_?”

“Leia, please...” He cleared his throat, “I don't...”

“You...” she caught sight of a small child watching, her eyes wide. “I'm not going to go into this. You want to talk, you know who my lawyer is.” She tightened her grip on her bags and went into the one place she knew her brother wouldn't dare follow her: the ladies room.

Seething, she walked to the end of the row of stalls, shutting herself into the last one. She couldn't imagine what her brother was doing in Atlanta, he hated the weather in the south and had gone north as soon as he could escape it. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she fired off another text to Han.

_Ran into Luke. My day's officially ruined._

Her eyes widened when she realized she'd not sent the message to her husband, but to Ben.

_Call campus security, Mom. Or the cops._

She shook her head.

_I'm at the airport in Atlanta, headed for Denver._

“Ma'am?” a voice came from the other side of the stall, they knocked once. “Ma'am?”

She opened the door, looking into the face of a security guard. “Yes?”

“Several people notified us about a man harassing you. We've escorted him back to his gate, and we’re keeping him under observation.” The woman gave her an understanding smile. “I'm terribly sorry about the situation, are you all right?”

Leia nodded, “I'll manage, and thank you. Complicated matter, I'm afraid.”

“Always is with family.” the woman stepped back so she could exit the stall. “You're not headed for Chicago, are you?”

“No.” she shook her head as they exited the bathroom, “though I don't know if his gate's next to mine or not.”

“We're keeping several sets of eyes on the man, so don't worry.” she offered a smile. “Storm should move past us in another thirty minutes, and we can get you to where you need to go.”

“Can't control the weather. But I appreciate the thought.” she tucked her phone back into her pocket, resolved to put the incident out of her mind. She definitely needed something deep fried.

*

Jyn hadn't had the opportunity to have an in-depth talk with either Baze or Chirrut, which led her to standing outside the main office of the Denver School for the Blind, signing herself in as a guest. She gave the secretary a smile as she stuck the name badge on her lapel.

“To get to the music room, you need to go down corridor A to the second staircase, go up to the next floor, and follow the noise.” the woman smiled, “don't worry, you don't need to worry about dodging teenagers on the west side of the school.”

“Compared to the chaos that is Hartsfield International in Atlanta, a hallway full of teenagers is nothing.” She beamed as the woman buzzed her into the building and she followed the directions, keeping to the left side of the passageway. The whole interior of the school was brightly lit; and she had the urge to slip her sunglasses back on. She'd visited a slew of schools before settling on her design for Eisenhower High back in North Carolina, and the only thing she knew the most important thing was to keep the gym and the cafeteria as far apart as possible.

Posters decorated the walls of the second staircase, student-made ones which she didn't know fell under the category of abstract art or not. As Jyn reached the top of the stairs, the aforementioned noise reached her – sticks being hit against each other, tambourines, and if she wasn't mistaken, a triangle or two as she came to the music room, and she ducked into the room to find two dozen children, second graders by the looks of them, having a grand time.

The child nearest her, holding a tambourine, turned in her direction, the coke-bottle glasses on his face gave him an owlish appearance. “Mr. Îmwe, we have a visitor!” He cried, and the instruments fell silent as Chirrut hit the large walking stick in his hand against the ground.

He smiled, “class, this is Mrs Andor. Can we all say hello?”

“Hello, Mrs Andor.” the children chorused as a bell rang.

Chirrut stood, taking up a box. “All right, children, bring your instruments forward and then line up, Miss Jordan will....”

“I'm here!” Another woman called from the doorway. “Sorry, got caught up grading papers.”

“It happens to all of us.” he answered and Jyn stayed to the side of the classroom as the kids filled out, skirting up towards the front of the room, automatically helping the man sort the instruments. “Before you ask, I remember the smell of your lotion. Only person I know who uses the scent, though I can't place it.”

“Sea Island Cotton, because Bath and Body Works won't release the linen scents outside of candles.” she sighed, dropping a tambourine into the box. “Where's...” she jumped as she felt something cold against her leg and looked down to see Thor. “Never mind.”

“It's all right, Jyn.” He chuckled, “I didn't expect you to visit again, is Mr. Solo unwell?”

“He's fine, last time I checked.” She took a breath, “I need to talk to you about something important. I'm down here because I understand Baze is in the middle of helping students prepare for the ACT.”

“Yes, yes.” He smiled, leaning against the table, “best just say it, holding it in will only make it worse.”

“Ben has an uncle no one in the family speaks to, they're estranged. For his sake, and those of his parents, do not try and communicate with him, or think you can 'patch things up.'” she took a breath, “do you want the long version or the Sparknotes?”

“Sparknotes, Jyn,” his smile had faded some, “I can tell by your voice this uncle must have done something horrible.”

She swallowed, looking down into the box, her stomach turning over. “Back when Ben was a teenager, a few weeks after having the transplant, his parents sent him to visit his uncle, he lived in Oregon. They thought fresh air, all that lovely nature stuff would help.”

“Fresh air does work wonders.” his frown deepened. “What happened?”

“The night Ben got there, his uncle took all of his medication – and I mean all of it, from the ibuprofen to the chemo drugs, the stuff he needed to stay healthy, and destroyed it – said the medicine was making him sick, and he'd get better and cured if he stopped taking any of it.” She barely kept the venom from her voice. “By the end of the week, Ben knew he was headed for a relapse, he knew the good mornings from the bad by then, but well...”

“His uncle said it had to hurt to heal, or some other such nonsense?” He shook his head, “I'm willing to bet this man rails against vaccinations too.”

“It wouldn't surprise me.” She took a breath, “the nearest hospital was too far to walk, so Ben did the only thing he could think of, went looking for a park ranger, or state trooper, and ended up collapsing in a wildfire lookout tower.” Jyn saw Chirrut's hand tighten on Thor's harness. “Like I said, it's complicated.”

He made an odd noise, causing Thor's head to come up. “I do not blame Mrs. Solo for cutting off ties with her brother for what he did.” he set his free hand on the dog, petting it slowly. “I take it you chose not to bring this up last night for risk it would upset Han.”

“The man does have high blood pressure and I'm not about to aggravate it.” Jyn pinched the bridge of her nose. “Even with the show's next season in peril, or not happening at all, people will find out about Ben and Rey. I don't know where Luke currently is, but considering the sort of apology he'd have to come up with...”

“Indeed.” He cleared his throat. “Would you be so good as to check the classroom for forgotten instruments or any other trip hazards?”

Jyn nodded, “sure. I'm not cutting into your lunch time, am I?”

He laughed as he walked over to his desk. “Not at all. How did your meeting go?”

“Quick and easy, because no one asked insipid questions.” she straightened the few desks at the back of the room. “So it ended well before it was scheduled to. I declined the offer of lunch, because I don't trust meat salads unless I know the person who made it.”

*

Rey felt a thousand times better after a long shower. She came out of the bathroom, rubbing her hair dry to find Ben sorting the items from Target on the bed. “I don't think I've seen this much junk food in one place since I went back to my dads' house in January.”

“Well, there's some healthy food here too.” He lifted a small container of cut-up veggies and stuck them in the room's small fridge, followed by a quart of milk. “My only problem with pick-up is they use way more plastic bags than needed.” He set the bags of chips in a row. “Good thing we got the regular sized bags, we can't leave the leftovers for the housekeeping staff, health violation or something.”

She chuckled as she came over, giving him a one armed hug. “I think we can put a decent enough dent in all of them we won't feel bad about having to chuck some into the bin.” She wrinkled her nose when she caught sight of one of the bags of chips. “Sweet Southern Heat Barbeque flavor?”

“That's rich coming from someone who asked for spicy Cheetos. Given some of the flavors I've seen paired with these chips, this is almost like having them plain.” He returned the hug. “I think the drivers here in Louisiana make the ones from Missouri and Kentucky look amazing.”

“I hate Tennessee drivers.” She countered, picking up the box of tampons and setting them next to her bag while Ben finished sorting the snacks into his and hers. “and don't say I'm one because I live there. I'm a Colorado driver.”

“And I'm a North Carolina driver.” He stuffed all the empty plastic bags into one, setting them aside. “but in all honesty, I don't think we can blame them. This city has potholes which could double as kitchen sinks.”

“Not to mention the narrowness of said roads.” she sighed, going back to hang up her towel. “Though I know of some frightful potholes back home. About the only place I never see any is on the runway.”

“I think runways are made of a lot sterner stuff than asphalt. Not to mention it'll cause a much bigger problem if there's a pothole there than say, the access road next to it.” he replied, yawning. “you want to pick out something to watch on television?”

Combing her hair with her fingers, she returned, sitting down on the foot of the bed. “I'm not in the mood.” she rolled her shoulders. “I'm up for another round of getting to know one another.”

Ben sat down behind her. “You want a shoulder rub?”

“Sure, I'll give you one too.” she let out a breath as he started to work the knots from her upper back. “what haven't we discussed?”

“I think we covered the major ones, food, film, religion, weather, jobs, and family. We decided politics need to stay off the table, along with books, because you don't have the time to read.” he snickered, “you can't exactly listen to audiobooks while working.”

“True.” she leaned forward so he could get more of her back. “Sports we gleaned over, united in our mutual hatred of the New England Patriots, and you have yet to tell me more about hockey.”

“Who drives worse, Missouri or Kentucky?” he countered, “and no, you can't say Arkansas.”

“Given the time I spend there, I'm going with Florida. I think they've never heard of a turn signal, or if they have, they think using one is merely a suggestion.” She let out a groan. “why are you so good at this?”

“The things you learn at chemo. Rose used to walk on people's backs in high school.” Ben chuckled, “and yes, she's walked on mine a few times.”

“I think she'd have to. You tower over her by over a foot.” Rey snickered, “who are the worst drivers in your opinion then?”

“South Carolina.” he laughed, “you'd think they're the Carolina famous for car racing.”

“Maybe they're all running from the ghosts of Sherman's March.” She covered her mouth, “oh lord, I didn't mean....”

“I know what you mean. As the daughter of a history teacher, I expect you to say such things. I'm certain you have some other brilliant zingers in your brain.” he let out a breath, “and your theory does hold some merit. Everyone in a hurry to get away from something. Though strangely, the second both states hear the word 'hurricane' we have the good sense to act accordingly. You only have to live through one to know there's no shame in getting out of harm's way.”

“I never get why people would stay, unless they absolutely had to.” she clasped her knees as his hands moved to her lower back. “I've never experienced a hurricane, but having to circle an airport or divert because of a tornado, about as much fun.”

“I think I'll take 'your flight is canceled because of a massive snowstorm' instead.” he rubbed at a tense knot in her lower back. “And yes, only one in twelve people in North Carolina know how to drive in the snow.”

“I always say it's a matter of the people who know how to drive in snow, can't, because everyone's acting like they can.” She countered, flinching as a joint popped. “Much better.” She gave him a smile as she straightened, and moved aside. “Come on, Fluffy. Your turn.” 

He grinned as he turned around, “Okay, Gingersnap.” he sighed, “my mom accidentally texted me instead of my dad while I was waiting for our order. She’s also on her way to Denver. Guess she didn’t trust him to do everything, and she probably has all of the pictures with her.”  
Rey began rubbing his back in slow circles with the heels of her hands. “So why don't we go?”

He blinked at her. “Go where?” 

“Denver.” she answered, “The road trip idea. We've got junk food, a rental car and vacation time.” she grinned, “think about it. We can get to know each other, take turns at the wheel, and arrive in time for dinner on Friday, lunch if we manage to avoid rush hours. All we really need to do is to change our flight home from New Orleans to Denver.”

He let out a breath as she worked out the knot that had formed in the small of his back. “You're crazy. Do you know how long of a drive that is?”

“Closer than the Grand Canyon.” she quipped. “Seriously, we'll get all arranged before we go to bed, head for Colorado in the morning.” Rey leaned over and grabbed her phone. “Only around twenty hours, we'll stop somewhere in Kansas or Texas for the night.”

“We'll arrive tired regardless of where we stop.” He chuckled, “though I think you have a point. I don't think having our parents together without us present is a good idea. They may start to plan a reception, or worse.”

She snickered, “I think Dad will remain levelheaded, but something tells me your dad and my Papa will likely cause some trouble.”

“And my mother will stand there and help.” He chuckled, “well, if we're going to do this, we have calls to make. We can use the money not getting spent on this hotel for gas and additional food.” He tapped his fingers against his knee. “I could give Rose a call, see if she's got a soft cooler we could borrow, for water and other things.”

“She won't try and talk us out of going, will she?” Rey flinched, “stupid cramps. Wait, I have a feeling she'll bring it over here.”

He paused, “on second thought, I better call Paige. I know Taj got into town this morning, and probably sweating bullets over the impending question he has for Rose.”

“Good plan.” Her expression changed, “Are we going to tell our parents we're headed to Colorado, or do you think we should surprise them?”

“We better let them know, much fun as it would be to surprise them, I think we're better not doing it. We've surprised them enough this week already.” He grinned, “we should get a YouTube channel to document this adventure.”

“Gingersnap and Fluffy.” she grinned and got up, “I'll handle the airline arrangements, you take care of the rental car. The company might want us to switch vehicles.”

*

Han watched the people streaming out of the arrival area at Denver International, feeling much more at ease than he had since he arrived in Colorado yesterday. This situation wasn't horrible, he could think of a dozen worse situations he and Leia could find themselves in – and had. But knowing Luke had run into Leia at the airport in Atlanta, just made him angry.

At least they hadn't gotten on the same flight and the good people working security at Hartsfield had the foresight to keep the two of them apart. Or rather, keep Luke away from Leia.

Where his brother-in-law had gotten his crack-brained ideas from, Han had no idea, and all Leia ever offered was 'college changed him.'

“Hey, hot shot.” A voice cut into his thoughts and he managed a grin as his wife came forward and hugged him. “I catch you with your head in the clouds again?”

“Something like that.” He returned the hug, kissing the top of her head. “I didn't talk to Baze and Chirrut for very long today, they had classes to teach and I took a long nap,following the doctor's orders to get more rest.” He took her carry-on bag from her hand and the two of them headed out of the airport. “You want some dinner?”

“I'd love something. I'd take pizza at this point, today felt far too long. I only went to my nine-am because they had a test today.” she smirked, “not that I don't have an assistant to hand out test papers and collect blue books. Jyn still in town?”

“No, well, I let her off at the departure area, I have no idea what time her boarding call is.” he sighed as they climbed aboard a bus to the short-term parking. “And yes, I'm watching my diet too. Green vegetables, next to nothing deep fried, no alcohol.”

“Fusspot.” she countered, leaning against him. “I'm still not certain what to think about all this; maybe if we'd had a little warning, it wouldn't feel so weird.”

“From what I gather, Baze's having more of an issue than Chirrut. I do not think there's a man with a more optimistic outlook this side of the Mississippi River.” He snickered, “I still want to know how Rey can't cook.”

“Maybe she spent her time doing outdoor things.” Leia shrugged, “her dads did say something about her not having the right temperament for the kitchen. May I remind you that you can't cook either?”

“I'm a different story, I wasn't raised by two dads and my mother's idea of letting me help cook was opening jars.” He chuckled, “how did Ben learn to cook again?”

“Reading.” she covered a cough. “And his grandmother, who had him rolling matzo balls before he turned two.” She managed a grin, “perfectly revolting, my son makes a better soup than I do.”

“Hardly.” He smiled as the bus slowed to their stop and they joined the small group getting off too. The mid-April evening had some bite to it; not bitter, but cold enough to remind you it could still unleash winter weather despite the time of the year. “He has both of his grandmothers' recipes, and can replicate them all, and the fact he can read my mother's shaky scrawl alone makes it a wonder.”

“Well, on the bright side, it's not like those two crazy kids ran off to Vegas after knowing each other for all of a week.” She sighed, “though getting married the day you meet is about as insane.”

“Ben's work schedule would never have let him go on Chopped, or the Next Food Network Star.” He countered, scanning the cars, trying to remember exactly where he left the rental.

“Oh he could still do that.” she quipped, “we just need Baze to give him a lesson or two in Chinese cooking, and Ben could merge it with Jewish, and create a whole new style. Call the show _The Kosher Wok._ ”

“Ha!” Han threw back his head, laughing. “And have the whole of social media go screaming about cultural appropriation at him? I don't think so.” He snorted as he unlocked the car and opened the trunk, putting Leia's bag inside.

She made a face, “point. Seems a great deal of people don't know how to stay in their lane when they get online. I suppose it's the freedom of anonymity.” She slid into the passenger seat as he shut the trunk and got in as well. “How do you feel about all this?”

“Unsettled. The whole thing...” he shook his head, “well, at least we don't have cameras on us, so there's some comfort in all this.” He backed out of the parking spot and drove towards the exit.

“And how.” Leia took out her phone, scanning her messages. “I think once we all have met, everything might look better.”

Han frowned. “You don't think those kids are crazy enough to drive up to Denver, do you?” He had no idea how far it was to New Orleans, at least a whole day's worth of a drive, if not longer.”

“Yes.” She answered flatly. “Message sent at four-fifty six this afternoon from our darling boy – Leaving the Big Easy in sixteen hours for the Mile High City. Will call when we stop for the night in the middle of nowhere Prairie Town.'”

“If they can survive the trip, those two can survive anything.” he shook his head, “and hopefully, they can figure out which one is the sensible one on their way north.”

*

Baze didn't say anything as Chirrut put the bottle of Tylenol back in the cupboard. He simply shut the dishwasher, making sure the lock clicked into place. “I'm not going to run this until after breakfast tomorrow. There's plenty of room for breakfast dishes.”

“Mother Hen.” his husband countered, “you don't need to explain everything, you know.”

“Habit.” he sighed, going over to the kitchen table. “How long did Jyn visit the school? She never came to my part, I suspect she felt more comfortable around small children than teenagers.” When Chirrut had told him what the woman had come specifically to the school to tell them, he'd had to resist the urge to punch something.

“She stayed for two hours, helping with my teaching. Rather nice to have someone else man the piano every now and then.” he smiled, coming over to join him. Thor took up residence at his feet, tail thumping against the floor. “Han agreed to visit the school tomorrow, and we are having dinner together in the evening, along with Mrs. Solo. They're staying in Colorado through the weekend.”

“I know.” He muttered, rubbing his temple. “I think I'll feel better about everything once everyone has met.” He pulled his planner towards him, “need to figure out something to have for dinner tomorrow, not chicken, because I'm making Rey's favorite soup for the day after, when they get here.”

“You can make a stew in the crock-pot, Baze. You don't need to go to a great deal of trouble.” He smiled, “something tells me Han Solo's the type of man who is a finicky eater.”

“The crock-pot's both a blessing and a curse. Things never turn out exactly how I want them.” he sighed, flipping through a few pages, “though it does turn out a decent curry on occasion.”

“FussPot.” Chirrut smiled over at him. “Worrying over nothing. We could have a serious salad tomorrow. If we're too busy chewing, we don't have to worry about conversation.”

“We could do with a healthy dose of vegetables.” He chuckled, “our daughter constantly tells us we need to eat them, much like we once told her.” He pulled off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. The whole of the week felt too eventful, too long – all he wanted to do was skip tomorrow and most of Friday, finding the waiting time for Rey to come home narrowed down to a handful of hours. “Your phone's going off.”

“I know.” Chirrut answered, setting the device on the table, his fingers deftly working the braille buttons. “If you're selling something, we do not need it. Unless this is Publisher's Clearinghouse and we're going to receive a thousand dollars a week for life.”

“Evening, Chirrut,” Han Solo's voice sounded as tired as Baze felt. “Sorry to call so late.”

“It's not late at all.” He grinned, “you're still planning on coming to the school tomorrow, yes?”

“Yeah.” he cleared his throat. “The kids tell you they're headed for Denver?”

Baze snickered, “yes, Rey sent us a text a little while ago.”

“Just checking out of concept.” A noise he couldn't place came from Han. “I don't think the two of them are foolish enough to try and drive the whole way straight. Good thing the weather report's decent.”

“Clear in Colorado, I have no idea about Oklahoma and Kansas.” Leia added, “Ben didn't even know I was headed to Denver until I accidentally texted him instead of his dad.”

“I hope it wasn't anything terrible.” Chirrut interjected, “and see, now we can form a plan of attack against xiǎo hǔ and Ben . They will arrive for dinner and not know if they are in trouble or not.”

“I'll find some pineapple upside down cake if we're going that route.” Leia chuckled, “or I can make one, if you're willing to let me use your kitchen.”

Baze looked from the phone to his husband, and gave a glance down at Thor, who seemed utterly content about everything. Was he the only level headed person around here?

“Take that look of your face, Baze Malbus, you will get wrinkles and I will not help you iron them.” His husband grinned.

*

Rey bolted upright in bed, hand pressed against her chest to control her breathing. She never could say which was the worse nightmare; the one of the plane crash, or the one where she ran through dark corridor after dark corridor, trying to escape some monster she couldn't see, only feared with every fiber of her being. She pressed her eyes closed, rapidly inhaling as her heart raced.

“Gingersnap?” Ben's voice came to her, groggy – and she felt his hand settle on her back, moving in slow circles. “You okay?”

She didn't look back, she didn't think she could move.

“Hey.” His arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into a half-hug. “Bad dream?”

She nodded, pressing a hand against her mouth. “Didn't mean to wake you up too. It's stupid, I...”

“Hush. Let me get you some water. It'll help.” He kissed her temple and rose from the bed. As he left, she shivered, lamenting the loss of his warmth next to her. How utterly pathetic was this? She'd known Ben what, three, four days? She coughed, her heart finally slowing down as he returned, handing her a bottle of water and a few tissues.

“Thanks.” She took several gulps of water; keeping her focus on it as he got back into bed with her, letting out a deep breath of his own. “I know, I should have a better grip on things...”

“Hardly.” He took the bottle when she handed it to him, screwing the lid back on. “Nightmares suck. Doesn't matter if you're five or fifty.”

“I'm never the pilot in the plane crash dreams. I'm always trapped in the back, a passenger, or I somehow turn into the pilot right before impact.” She wiped at her face, “When it's too late to fix the problem I knew earlier, and...”

“Yeah.” He rubbed her back again. “not that I have plane crash dreams.”

She coughed, blowing her nose. “I'll trade you. They're awful.”

“I'm always lost in the woods, and something's chasing me – but I can't run, only stumble over rocks and fallen tree trunks.” He grimaced, “we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”

Rey managed a weak smile. Talking about the nightmares tended to make them happen more often; stupid subconscious. She took a breath, “It's late and we have a journey in the morning.”

“Yeah.” he turned over her pillow so the cool side faced upward before settling down against his. “Eat a good breakfast, drink a good portion of coffee, see if we can make Oklahoma by lunch.”

She gave her face another once over with the tissue, and set them on her bedside table. “Sorry I woke you up.”

“Don't be. It happens.” He didn't look over his shoulder at her as she laid down. “You think you can go back to sleep?”

“What time is it?” She folded her arms on the blankets, the hum of the air conditioner kicking on the loudest sound in the room.

“One-thirty four.” he coughed, “I know, it feels later.”

She frowned, shifting so she could rub the spot between his shoulder-blades. “Have you ever gotten lost in the woods?”

“Yeah.” Something in his tone told her it was bad; it seemed impossible someone of Ben's size could get lost in the woods and have it continually terrify him – but then, he'd had a childhood too – and cancer. Somehow, cancer seemed a thousand times worse than the bullies she'd had to deal with in school. “You want some more water?”

“No.” She tugged on his arm. “I want a snuggle. We're okay with snuggling, right?”

He let out a soft chuckle and turned to face her, holding his arm open, “yes, Gingersnap, snuggling's great.”

She didn't hesitate to slide up against him, and he turned so he laid on his back, with her lying on his chest. She hugged him and closed her eyes, inhaling slowly. “Still smells like cucumber melon.” she wrinkled her nose, “and lavender?”

“Wonderful things, dryer sheets.” He snickered, rubbing her back in slow circles. “because static cling is evil.”

“Yes.” Rey smiled, focusing on the sound of his heart beating under her ear. Steady and sure, and calming. “who's taking care of your plants while you're gone?”

“Neighbor. Knowing Maz, she'll return them to me doubled in size. She has a way with growing things. She grew sweet corn in a pot last winter. Sunshine and a space heater.”

“Wow.” She yawned, rubbing her cheek against his chest. “Goodnight, Fluffy.”

Ben's arm tightened and relaxed. “Goodnight, Gingersnap.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Road trip part 1, in which Rey and Ben discuss the importance of pizza toppings, gas station coffee, and the weirdness that is the Solo family. Meanwhile, in Denver, Leia has a short chat with Chirrut before Han's talk, and later, the parents get together. Also, there's a storm brewing in the Texas skies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags updated

Rey leaned against the window, watching absently as they drove across the Crescent City Bridge, watching New Orleans fade behind her in the side-view mirror. The west-bound traffic felt light, and after looking at the directions to Denver, there was only one major city's rush hour to worry about – Dallas. A good seven hours from their current location, with luck, they would arrive at the city right after lunch. What they had thought would be a twenty hour drive could get narrowed down to nineteen, but Ben was adamant about stopping for the night. He didn't want to risk either of them falling asleep at the wheel. “Everything about this seems crazy.”

“We have time to turn around if you don't want to go to Denver.” Ben countered, “or is your stomach still set on a good lunch in Alexandria?”

“Hell yes.” she returned, covering a yawn as she sat up, picking up the tall coffee cup from the console and taking a long sip. “I don't mind the rushed breakfast either. Though how does gas station coffee taste so magical?”

Ben laughed, shaking his head. “I don't know. Maybe because you can make it as fancy as other places for a fifth of the price. There's a certain allure of a two dollar and fifty cent cafe mocha which would cost you seven dollars at Starbucks.”

“Point.” she folded her arms, “you think we'll manage to avoid rush hour in Baton Rouge?”

“You think rush hour in Baton Rouge is anything compared to Memphis?” he grinned, “besides, most of the traffic is going _towards_ New Orleans.” His grip on the wheel loosened as they came off of the bridge. “Why do I hate those things?”

“I'm not too fond of them either.” she frowned, “maybe we've seen a few too many of them fall apart in disaster movies?” she shrugged, “not to get morbid, but if I have to die in a plane crash, I don't want there to be a long fall before the impact.”

“You mean you'd rather have the plane suffer explosive decompression at thirty thousand feet or for disaster to strike right after take off?” he grimaced, “great, now I have something else to worry about.”

“Please, they scan things like crazy these days.” Rey sighed, shifting in her seat. “But you get what I'm saying. Another reason I don't mind flying for FedEx. Packages don't complain, and you don't need to explain turbulence or have to deal with panicking passengers or flight attendants.”

“Do you ever have to take couriers with you?” He asked, “like someone who has to stay with a shipment of plasma or something?”

“Surprisingly, no. Most of those kinds of goods are transported via commercial flights.” she stretched her arms out in front of her. “like the mail, but I have had to take a few sacks of international postage before. Usually around the holidays, when baggage space becomes a premium on every carrier from American to United, and heaven forbid you shove a sack full of Christmas cards in with a bunch of designer suitcases.” she glanced in the backseat. “Yours is vintage and therefore, excused.”

“Thank you, it was my gran's.” Ben grinned. “though I can't imagine why I'd need to go overseas around the holidays, and even if I did, I don't mind sacks of mail with my luggage.” He shook his head. “what drives me crazy is the fact that pets get transported down with the bags too.”

“Agreed. Makes me glad when Papa has to get on a plane, Thor stays with him.” she grimaced, “though he and Dad stay put in Denver most of the time. They've never come to see me in Memphis.” she picked up her coffee. “they'd probably have a minor panic attack if they saw the studio...” she took a sip of her drink. “This whole moving thing will be weird.” she frowned, “I mean, I may have made sure all my stuff was clean before reporting to the filming site, and gotten some packing boxes...”

He let out a breath. “Yeah. I didn't know what to expect either, so I've got a couple of boxes as well. I also went through my closet and did a little weeding... which I needed to do anyway.”

“We'll get it done, one way or another.” she paused, “though don't unpack my stuff while I'm gone. Unless I ask when I fly out Monday after next.”

“Wouldn't dream of it, Gingersnap.” he smiled. “So, tonight it's highly likely we'll have pizza delivered to our hotel room. We should have a discussion about toppings now.”

She took another drink of coffee before putting it back. “Toppings come second, we need to agree on a crust.” She rested her head on her hand, watching the light traffic in front of them. “And where to get said pizza from. Sadly, Papa Murphy's is not an option.”

“It is if we get a bunch of tinfoil and use the car engine as an oven.” he grinned, “last I checked, it would take about forty-five minutes at seventy miles per hour to get the job done.”

Rey gaped at him. “When was the last time you used a car engine as an oven?” she shook her head, “no, wait, where the hell did you get the idea for that?” She wasn't certain if she was horrified or jealous – she'd taken enough road trips to test out such a thing.

Ben's face remained perfectly even. “ _The Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road,_ or my Aunt Amilyn, if you promise not to tell my parents about it.” he snickered, “she's a riot.”

“She sounds insane.” she shook her head, “no, we're not doing that. We'll go with Papa John's.” she paused, “unless there's a local place the desk clerk says we have to try.”

“We're too far south for a decent deep dish.” He intoned, his grip on the wheel lightening as they entered the suburbs of New Orleans. “and it won't change when we get to Texas.”

“Point.” she rubbed her eyes, “still, I'm more of a thick crust person than thin.” she stretched her arms over her head, “any toppings you can't have because of your religion?”

“I'm hooked on their Philly Cheese-steak.” He let out a sigh, “I told you I'm not super devout, but if you want to get Hawaiian or Pepperoni, I'm not going to stay a thing.” He made a face, “wait, have we discussed if pineapple is an acceptable pizza topping?”

“I don't think we have.” Rey took up her coffee cup again. “I've had pizza with jack-fruit on it.” she wrinkled her nose, “it's not the same. Pineapple is perfectly reasonable – but you can't put it with certain things. You can't just add it to a supreme pizza with sausage, black olives and mushrooms –one must respect flavor pairings.” She took another swig of coffee. “And plain cheese is unacceptable, we're not five.”

“I didn't like plain cheese pizza when I was five.” His grip on the wheel tightened as they merged into the north-bound traffic. “Which brings us to the next topic of discussion – what to have for lunch.”

“Burger and fries.” Rey set the cup back down. “Who cares if we just had the same thing three days ago for dinner?”

“I don't, and it sounds great.” he grinned, “speaking of, you want to go first on the road trip music selection?”

“Sure.” she reached into her bag, digging out her phone.

*

Leia remembered why she became a college professor and not an educator at a lower level the second she stepped into the large classroom with Han. Little kids, at least in groups larger than five, absolutely terrified her. Keeping track of so many small people was too much responsibility, and even if you went from teaching seven year olds to thirteen year olds, you had a new set of problems to look out for. College students, she didn't mind if they came to class in their pajamas or downed energy drinks during her lectures.

She taught adults, or as she often thought, close approximations to them.

Children were a different story.

“There's no need to be so tense, Mrs. Solo.” Chirrut said from her left. “you don't have to talk to the kids.” he grinned, “relax.”

She covered her eyes, chuckling. “remind me to keep you and my friend Amilyn apart at all family gatherings. The two of you together will prove dangerous. Like leaving Ben and Paige Tico together.”

The man let out a soft laugh. “Is that an exaggeration, or absolute truth?”

“Exaggeration.” Leia shifted in her chair. “The true troublemakers are Ben and Rose.” she grinned, “I suspect Rey might have already learned that.”

He loosened his grip on Thor's harness and the dog laid down, resting his head on the man's foot. “What does your friend do?”

“She owns a sheep ranch.” She settled back, folding her arms. “Some genius in the housing department of our college made us roommates freshman year. The wonderful thing about Amilyn, is after just fifteen minutes of meeting her, you'd swear you'd been friends since you were five years old.”

“She sounds exceptional.” his mouth quirked into a smile. “So how many times have you heard the speech your husband is about to give?”

“I stopped counting a long time ago. Though he's had to modify it as time went by, and now he waxes nostalgic on the decent food you used to get on domestic flights, and even better on international.” she shook her head, “personally, I remain disgusted with any airline which won't let you have a whole can of soda to yourself.”

“I have not taken enough flights to make a proper assessment.” he answered, giving her a bemused smile. “Our daughter is more likely to come see us, rather than us go to see her. And when she does come home, I know she is torn as to how we fuss over her.”

“I'm too old for this, please don't stop doing this.” Leia answered. “Is Rey forever thirteen or she younger?”

He chuckled, “I say she's at least thirteen, though Baze might argue she's only ten.” he shook his head. “And Ben?”

“Around thirteen, except he's grown into his ears and limbs.” she straightened as the lights were flashed on and off twice and a chorus of low shushing noises came from several points in the room. “there's the universal cue for quiet.”

“Do such things work in your own classroom, Professor?” Chirrut asked.

“I wish.” she answered, folding her arms. “though most of the students are good about putting their phones away.” she chuckled, “I sometimes miss the days when I could confiscate notes being passed and read them aloud. And yes, I did warn them on the first day of class I would do it.”

“You gave them advanced warning. Good for you.” he chuckled and sat back in his seat as a teacher came into the small stage to introduce Han.

*

Ben rested his chin against his fist as they crossed the Louisiana state line and entered Texas. Lunch had gone by in companionable silence, the past few days had proven eventful enough, and it wasn't as if they were going to run out of things to talk about any time in the near future. He glanced over at Rey, who kept her focus on the road, her expression unreadable. He knew better than to ask if she was okay. “Did you always want to be a pilot?”

“Huh?” her grip on the wheel loosened as they passed a tractor-trailer. “I'm sorry, what did you ask me?”

He smiled, keeping his focus on her. “Did you always want to fly airplanes?”

She chuckled. “Astronaut.” she shook her head. “I wanted to be the first woman on Mars.” she let out a deep breath. “I had it all planned out, I was even ready to enlist in the Air Force if I had to, ready to conquer anything.” her expression changed, “and sometime between middle and high school, the dream collapsed in on itself.”

Ben let out a breath, “let me guess, some dick of a teacher told you that there was no way you'd do it, and all the ones who followed just fueled the fire, and not one offered an extinguisher?”

“Something along those lines, yeah.” she sighed, “I've gotten fond of flying, and sure, it's not the glamorous job it once was, but at the same time,” a smile slowly spread across her face. “And like I’ve said, packages don't complain. The people they're going to and from might, but FedEx does not control the weather or the traffic. Ground or air.”

“Why didn't you take off on time? Well, boss, there was this super-cell thunderstorm parked right over the airport with a couple of funnel clouds.” he quipped. “and pilots don't plow the runways either.”

“Poe and I hit a moose once.” She chuckled, “fortunately, we were taxiing out, not landing.”

“I'm certain the moose was okay, but how was the plane?” He grinned, “my dad’s hit a couple of them.”

“Yeah, the moose ran off.” she shook her head. “Duluth. We were in a seven-thirty-seven. Poe said if we'd been in anything smaller, the plane would have been done for.”

“You mean like those propeller driven things, which look like transplants from the sixties?” He grimaced, reaching for his bottle of soda. “I hate getting on one of those. My dad always calls them crash and dashes.”

“Fitting.” Rey rubbed her nose. “I'm glad I don't have to go between various types of planes all too often, and I never fly something small.” she glanced over at him. “How about you? What did you want to be when you were little?”

He took a swig of Dr. Pepper before answering. “I wanted to play professional baseball.” he set the bottle back down. “I played baseball from the time I was around five – straight up through grade school and into high school...” he sighed, “fucking leukemia. I couldn't get my strength back to the level it was before. Close, but...”

“What position did you play?” she asked, “and you never know, I mean, you've seen _The Rookie_ and _The Natural,_ right?”

Ben grinned, looking down at his hands. “Would you believe short-stop?” He swallowed, “college ball wasn't so bad. My team won the national championship during my second year.” he sighed, “I've got the ring back at home.”

“That's cool.” she tightened her grip on the steering wheel as they went into a construction zone. “So what do you think of the Colorado Rockies?”

He smirked, “one of my dad's best friends is a pitching coach for the Washington Nationals, I will have to take the fifth, and I'm still in trouble with him for having a Cardinals shirt. But in Taj's defense, he didn't know at the time.”

She laughed, “okay, so as long as I continue to hate the Yankees, I stay on his good side, right?”

“Right. If you profess a deep hatred for the Giants, he'll love you forever.” he grinned, “my American League team of choice is the Astros.” He slid a hand through his hair. “weird, I know.”

“I'm an Astros fan too.” she swallowed, “now, you said Armitage plays for the Blues?”

“Yeah.” he picked up his soda again. “He only looks intimidating on the ice. Off of it, he's the quintessential best friend.” he grinned, “unless he's interacting with Paige. Then it's straight to high school rivals.”

Rey chuckled, “you always describe people you know by their movie trope?”

“Habit.” he took a sip from the bottle. “Sorry.”

“Don't worry about it. It's sort of nice, most people can't explain their friends and family at all.” she snorted, “people will say 'they're an acquired taste' which translates in my mind to 'they're an asshole but they volunteer at an animal shelter, so they're not all bad.”

He shook his head, grinning. “You just described half the people I went to high school with.” they came out of the construction zone. “but then, aren't most of us absolute little shits in high school?”

“Point.” she answered, her grip on the wheel easing. “to tell you the truth, I'm a little worried about what our parents are talking about up in Denver.”

“They're swapping stories and embarrassing photos about us.” he put the soda back. “But because I'm not the boy next door and you're not the head cheerleader, we're going to be just fine.” he rubbed his temple. “Seriously, when we get there, it's not what they've shared we need to worry about, it's what they haven't.”

She swallowed, “you had cancer in high school, I had bullies.” she glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “We have plenty of time to talk. So you have an Aunt Amilyn... any uncles?”

Ben closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, willing himself to remain calm. “I do have an uncle, but he's estranged from the family.” he let the breath out and opened his eyes. “before I tell you what happened, you have to promise me one thing.”

“What?” Rey's grip on the wheel tightened again as she swung into the left lane and hit the accelerator, passing another large tractor trailer. “I know that in most estranged cases, it's best to keep it that way, so I won't try for a reconciliation.”

“Oh it's not that.” Ben folded his arms. “I need you to promise you won't go off with either or both of your dads and mine and kill my uncle. Given the sheer number of people who'd provide an alibi...” he shook his head. “The man's not worth the jail time, okay?”

Her face paled as they swung back into the right lane. “What the fuck did he do?”

He took another deep breath and told her exactly what the fuck his Uncle Luke did.

*

The neighborhood where Baze and Chirrut lived was exactly like Leia pictured it. Ranch and split-ranch style houses, evergreen trees of various kinds and various heights; and, much as one could expect in Colorado in April, lawn after lawn of hibernating brown grass. Snowmen dotted several yards, all in different states of melting. While back in North Carolina, Spring had shown up, like it always did, around the first week of March, here, it had barely begun. She checked the address which Baze had given them over the phone. “Why do so many subdivisions feel like rabbit warrens?”

“I don't know.” Han chuckled. “I think they have a few more hills to contend with here. It also doesn't help the numbered roads are reversed from how they are back at home.” he slowed the car as they came to a stop sign. “Okay, here we are at Sweet Briar Terrace, what road are we looking for again?”

“Baltimore Lane.” she rubbed her temple, “it's the street after this one, we turn left, they live in the gray house with the black shutters and the black roof, right at the entrance of the cul-de-sac.” She looked back out the window. “I still can't believe the kids are driving here from New Orleans.”

“They'll be fine, princess.” he grinned, “you have to remember this is our son we're talking about. I mean, as soon as Rey learns he's one sarcastic little shit when he wants to be, they're going to terrorize all their friends. It'll be worse than when he and Rose get together.”

Leia repressed her snort badly. “Oh lord, the three of them together would cause a disaster beyond imagining. Poor Paige.”

“Paige set a microwave on fire making popcorn and once accidentally dyed her hair green. I don't know how that’'s something you do _accidentally_.” he quipped, “though something tells me Rey might have done the same thing on occasion.” He tightened his grip on the wheel as they turned onto Baltimore Lane. “Who names these streets anyway?”

“You could ask Jyn, she might know.” she leaned forward, looking out the window. “Okay, gray house...” she stopped, and shook her head, chuckling. “Or they could have said the house with the cow mailbox.”

“Maybe they don't want to scare us off.” he stopped, “of course, we are the people with the welcome mat which reads 'the neighbors have better stuff' so, we can't really judge them.”

“We only have that one because you wouldn't let me get the one which said 'go away'.” She sighed as they pulled into the drive. “We'd have a mailbox shaped like an airplane if the homeowners association would allow it.”

“I dunno, a cow might be a better option, given how many cows are on the board.” Han grinned as he turned off the car. “Or are they rats?”

“Shrews.” Leia answered as they got out and she shouldered her bag. “And before you ask, yes, I remembered to check the locks on all the back doors at home. You forgot to ask me yesterday.”

“Well, I checked them before I left for Florida, so, unless you suddenly felt the need to roam around our backyard for some reason, they wouldn't have been opened.” he locked the car and they started up the walk, his hand resting on the small of her back. “You have everything?”

“I think so.” she looked down at the bag at her hip. “I hope the kids are planning on stopping soon, wherever they are.”

“Me too.” he sighed, “at least we know they're not going to do something stupid, like driving it all in one shot.” He ran a hand through his hair. “There's far, and then there's too damn far.”

“Sounds familiar.” Leia replied as they reached the porch. “All we know is, they're somewhere in Texas. And Texas is a big state.”

“Flying over it is one thing, driving is another.” Han pressed the doorbell, “it's weird to see snow around here, when I know I'm going to cut the grass when we get home.”

“No you won't, I had Holly from across the street do it.” she smiled, “no, I did not let her use your riding mower.” The door was opened by Baze.

“So you didn't get lost trying to find the house. Congratulations, you're among the first to do so.” He grinned and undid the latch on the exterior door. “Come on in out of what you think is cold.”

Han smirked as they did. “I'm certain we'd feel the same in terms of hot, and it's not really cold, the wind’s not up.”

“Don't start.” Leia shrugged out of her coat as Baze shut the door. “Though I have to ask, who picked the cow mailbox?”

The man chuckled “Rey did, at the age of eleven, and I think if we switched it out, we'd never get our mail again.” He shook his head. “Chirrut has a habit of signing us up as The Cow Mailbox, instead of our actual names.”

Han took her coat and placed it on one of the hooks against the wall as she slipped out of her shoes. “I hope you haven't gone to a bunch of trouble with dinner.”

“Nonsense.” He took the bag from the floor and led them into the kitchen, where Chirrut was setting the table. “We'll do trouble tomorrow, when the kids get here.”  
“You've already claimed one disappointed parent role, Baze.” Chirrut offered, “who is joining me as perfectly delighted?”

“Both of us.” Leia stated, “what can I do to help?”

“Nothing, I've got things well handled.” Baze frowned. “I don't remember agreeing to be the only bad guy.”

She shook her head and went over to unpack the bag. “I'm afraid it'll have to be Han who joins you, Ben already knows my opinion.”

Chirrut laughed and said something to Baze in Mandarin, and he replied in the same.

“I'd suggest having a heated discussion when they get here over holidays,” Han offered. “But if Rey's the sort of person I think she is, and knowing my son, they'd refuse to go to either of our houses and insist we come see them instead.”

Baze chuckled, “or spend them alone, stating they don't need the drama. Besides, I do not think Ben can teach Rey how to cook anything complex.”

“I don't know...” Leia shrugged, “she looks like she could wield a potato masher with ease.”

*

Rey opened the door to the bathroom, the intoxicating smell of fresh, hot pizza hitting her full force. She gave her hair one last rubdown, frowning as she saw the television was on, tuned to a local news station. For the better part of the afternoon, she'd dismissed the clouds, knowing thunderstorms in Texas in April were as likely as snow in Denver in December. “You're not worried about storms, are you?”

“Severe ones, yes.” Ben let out a breath. “Out of curiosity, have you ever been in a tornado warning on the ground?” He kept his focus on the coverlet as he folded it up.

She hung up her towel, glancing at the TV as she went over to the table, resisting the urge to open the pizza box. Tornadoes were next to unheard of growing up where she did, and as for flying? “No.” she said as thunder rumbled outside. “But I guess it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.”

“Right.” he dumped the coverlet near the bathroom door. “The desk clerk gave me the standard rundown when I checked us in. Watch the local station, and if a warning is declared, get into the bathtub.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Don't worry, I've had to shelter in enough of these during a tropical storm growing up, I know the drill.” he grinned, “go on and eat, I know you're hungry.”

“It'll be a fun one to explain to the car rental people if something does happen.” she flung back the lid of the box and sat down, reaching for the stack of napkins. “Where are we exactly, in terms of the bad weather? The only roads I know well in this state are runways.” She took a slice of pizza.

“We're in north Wichita Falls, and Sheppard Air Force Base is about ten miles west of us.” he took his own piece. “No, I don't know where the nearest siren is.” He looked back over at the television. “I'm fairly certain the owners of the car have amazing insurance. I think the bigger problem would be us being stuck here in Texas.”

“I can think of worse places to be stranded.” She bit into her slice, the familiar, sweet taste of Papa John's marinara sauce wanting to make her groan. While she knew the chain wasn't even remotely incredible in terms of food, knowing their pizza would taste the same whether she was in Texas, Maine, or Oregon created a semblance of stability. “I know, I know, no _Cast Away_ references. My dads are the same way, it's why I text them every time I land after crossing an ocean.”

“Can you blame them?” He shrugged, “I doubt we'll get anything more than driving rain and maybe pea sized hail. Some straight line winds.” he kept his focus on his slice of pizza.

“Micro-bursts.” Rey offered, “I mean, I did check the weather in Colorado, on the off chance we run into a snowstorm. I know we didn't pack any cold weather clothes. Either of us.”

“We just have to run from the car to your dads' house.” he smirked as thunder rumbled again, followed by the sound of rain. “like they wouldn't come out and throw heavy blankets and coats on us, and have mugs of hot tea in our hands before we've said hello.”

“Point.” she looked down at her slice, “So I take it if we have to take shelter in the tub, we're tossing the coverlet in first?”

“Well, it's easier to do that than wrestle the mattress off the frame.” he snorted, “there are probably killer dust bunnies under it.” He set his slice down and went over to the soft cooler. “You want water or a soda?”

“Water, please.” she looked over at the television, reading the ticker warning of damaging winds and hail, telling people not to drive into water on the roads. “Why do they have to tell us not to do things which should be obvious?”

“That's why.” Ben came back with two bottles of water. “There's always some idiot who thinks the water isn't very deep, or they know what they're doing. Like the moron in every disaster movie who says there's no danger, because they've lived in this town their whole lives, the experts are stupid. The volcano won't erupt, our seawall is hurricane proof, we don't have earthquakes here.”

Rey snickered, “does that role have a specific title? Apart from the person definitely not surviving the disaster?” She tore the end of her crust off before eating more of her slice.

“Dead meat.” He grinned, “or Sean Bean. Who, by the way, is one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

She took a swig of water. “He does look the type.” she felt her smile fall as the warning in the corner of the screen changed, and the rain outside intensified. “Um...”

Ben saw what she had. “Shit.” he set his food down and stood, walking towards the bath. “Grab our phones.” he said, his tone perfectly calm as he picked up the folded coverlet.

“Ye..yeah.” she stood and crossed the room as the wretched, even voice she'd heard dozens of times in storm documentaries came across the television.

“The National Weather Service in Wichita Falls has issued a tornado warning for the following areas in north central Texas.” Was there an actual person or were they some sort of robot who made these announcements? She barely registered the locations mentioned as she pulled both her phone and Ben's off the chargers and she threw the lock on the door before she headed back across the room.

“Have a seat,” Ben said as she reached the bathroom, “settle in, Gingersnap, I'll get your shoes and socks.”

Rey nodded, setting both phones in her lap. This whole thing felt surreal. Out in the room, she could hear the voice droning on, and something started to worm its way into her brain; the wail of a siren. Had she ever heard them sound in Memphis? She slipped back into the tub, her legs dangling over the edge as Ben came back. “I think I'm numb.”

“I'll stay alert then.” he sat down on the floor and started to put her shoes on for her. “Again, I have to tell you what cute feet you have.”

She turned her phone on, grimacing as thunder crashed, and in the next instant, the power went out. “Shit.”

“Yeah.” Ben finished tying her shoes and sat down in the tub beside her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. “So if we make this work, where do you want to go for a real honeymoon?”

“Excuse me?” she tossed his phone into his lap. “This is not the time to discuss anything remotely trivial.” she looked down at her own device, her weather alerts going crazy. “Why should it...” she swallowed, “okay, yeah.” The noise of the siren was lost in the wind and she set her head on his shoulder. “I'm scared.”

His other arm came up around her front, holding her against him, and he kissed her forehead. “I've got you, Gingersnap. Don't you worry.”

She swallowed, closing her eyes as another sound seemed to cut through all others, and realized, much to her horror, she was crying. “I'm not a coward. I'm not a...”

“Ssh.” Ben kissed her again. “We're safe here.” His thumb brushed her cheek. “Few more minutes, and we can get back to our pizza.” He shifted her into his lap. “Is this okay?”

Rey shuddered as his embrace tightened; this was the most intimate thing they had done in the past few days; and somehow, she felt a modicum of relief. “Yeah.” she opened her eyes, the dark of the bathroom was not absolute. “Have you ever gone scuba diving? I've always wanted to try it, but as you can imagine, with the air pressure thing, not to mention growing up inland...”

“Yeah.” He sighed into her hair. “Hawaii then? Or would you rather stick with the Caribbean?” Something crashed outside, and something joined in with the rain, a clunky, heavy noise which could only be hail. “I hope that wasn't the car.”

“Hawaii sounds lovely. If this is what we get on a road trip to Denver, if we went to the Bahamas or Jamaica, a hurricane would probably show up.” She quipped, letting out a blubbery giggle.

'Now Gingersnap, you can't say things like that. Not unless we run into a freak blizzard once we cross the border into Colorado.” He replied, “where's the worst of the storm? What's your phone telling you?”

Rey swallowed and looked down at the screen, “we're in the north part of the city, right? Kind of close to the air force base?” she sniffled, “it's moving between Wichita Falls and the base.” she bit her lip. “I don't think we're in the direct path.” she grimaced, “the hail is golf-ball sized.”

“Yeah.” Ben answered as his phone buzzed and she felt him fumble for it. “Well, the parents are checking on us. You keep track of the storm on yours, okay?” he hit the answer button and put the phone on speaker. “Good evening.”

“Benny!” Mrs. Solo's voice rang out. “Where are you two kids?” She sounded far too cheerful for Rey's taste.

“Sheltering in the bathtub of our hotel while a tornado rages away about four miles from our current location.” Ben replied, “please do not panic. We're fine.”

“You drop a tornado on us and tell us not to panic?” Dad's voice was perfectly level. “You two...”

“Oh come on, Baze.” Han chuckled, “after what these two kids did on Tuesday is a little thing like a tornado really so surprising? They're in Texas and it's April.”

“Would someone please tell me when I became the voice of reason around here?” Papa laughed. “It's not like they're outside watching said storm. Or heaven forbid, chasing it. They're doing the proper thing and taking cover.”

“It's not bad.” Rey rubbed her cheek against Ben's shirt as a series of crashes came from outside. She had a feeling the four parents were all doing their best not to freak out; they would save the fussing and worry for when they got to Denver. “We might be running late tomorrow.”

“You kids stay safe.” Leia answered, “where are you in Texas?”

“North part of Wichita Falls.” Ben answered, rubbing circles on the small of Rey's back. “So what haven't you four discussed yet?”

Rey grinned, “have you told the Solos how we ended up with the cow mailbox? You better not have gotten rid of it since the last time I was home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this only took about a month and a half to write. I'm making slow progress on some of my other fics, and when I looked at my current WIPs, this chapter was the closest to completion. Hence the reason it's getting updated today, and not this Saturday. 
> 
> Stay safe y'all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey reach their destination in Denver - even with the weather not cooperating. Though compared to their parents, the weather is downright agreeable.

Ben shifted in his seat as they drove back out onto the highway after gassing up for the first time since this morning. Conversation in the car had remained non-existent apart from asking simple questions. They had left Wichita Falls before six in the morning, they had eaten at a Waffle House for breakfast, more for the fact it was the only place open than choice. Lunch consisted of eating the food they had brought with them from New Orleans. The past few days had proven too eventful, and, as much as he knew Rey was looking forward to getting to Denver, she probably wouldn't have minded staying in Louisiana.

He glanced over at her, her grip on the steering wheel tight, but rather than comment, he kept his focus out the window, frowning at a road sign telling them it was a hundred and ninety miles to Denver. He knew the distance given wasn't how far it was to Rey's dads’ house, but he knew they lived closer to the southern side. The car hadn't suffered much damage apart from scratches where branches had swept past it, and a few tiny dents from hail. The news reported the tornado as an EF-three, and they were well outside the worst of it.

“Would you mind checking the weather on your phone?” Rey asked, “I don't know if we're headed into thunderstorms or worse.” she shot him a look. “Remember what you said yesterday about snow?”

“You're the Colorado driver, Gingersnap.” he managed a smile and took out his phone, glancing at the dashboard, trying not to react to the current temperature reading of forty-seven degrees. It'd been seventy-five when they left Texas. He didn't remember switching the car from cold to warm in terms of air. “But still, better to know what's in front of us.”

“Yeah.” She reached down to get her bottle of water without taking her eyes from the road. “And then I think we need some music, or something. I don't really want to talk, but at the same time...”

“I think you fell into a hash-brown and waffle induced food coma after breakfast.” he dug out his phone. “Which, considering how little sleep we had last night, isn't surprising.”

“If you need to take a nap, I don't mind.” she sighed, “I'm sorry, I just...”

“Don't worry about it.” he frowned at his weather app. “Do forecasters here in Colorado usually underestimate or overestimate the snowfall?”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Rey let out a weak laugh. “Tell me they're calling for flurries.”

“Uh, is a flurry six inches?” He cursed softly. “Yeah, we're going to look quite the sight in spring clothes when we fly back to Memphis.”

“Six inches in April is annoying.” She grimaced, “not exactly a problem, or is that the lighter side of the forecast?”

Ben cleared his throat before he started to read the text on the screen. “Temperatures falling throughout the afternoon, snow starting at around three, light at first, heavier after nightfall, total accumulation in the metropolitan area, around eight inches, heavier in the mountains.” He snorted, “which rather sounds like a 'no duh' sort of statement?”

She snorted, “remember how half the people in Memphis forget how to drive in the rain in May?”

“Augh, you have a point.” he reached down into his bag to dig out his charger. “Well, it's a hundred and seventy five miles to Denver, we've got an almost full tank of gas, three half bags of chips, it's going to snow, and our parents are going to fuss over us the second we get out of the car.”

“This is why we're never going to someplace during hurricane season.” she chuckled, “we've been married what, four days? I hope things calm down once we get back to Memphis.” She loosened her grip on the wheel as they drove into a construction zone. “Do you have a ready made road trip mix?”

“Yup.” He snickered, “I thought it was something everyone had, because if you plan one thing about a road trip, it's the music.” He put the charger into the slot on the car panel and adjusted a few things. “you don't have a problem with Queen and Weird Al do you?”

“Nope.” She kept her focus on the road. “As much as the idea of starting a YouTube channel sounds like fun, you know we missed our opportunity with the tornado.”

“Please, people would be calling us chicken for taking shelter when the storm was what, four or five miles from where we were?” He set his phone into the cup-holder as the opening strains of 'Ease on Down the Road' filled the car. “But we could always gloss over it, like it's a weekly occurrence in our lives.”

Rey grinned. “Sheltered from a tornado, avoided a moose on the runway... Fluffy and Gingersnap talk about weather, cooking, travel...” she let out a breath. “And there's chicken soup waiting for us at my dads' house.” she shot him a look. “If they give you the recipe and you manage to replicate it perfectly...”

Ben smiled, folding his arms. “As tempting as that is, my gran would come up out of her grave and box my ears for not making her chicken soup for you.” He rested his head against the glass, absently counting orange barrels. “My problem is that I love to cook and hate to clean the kitchen. Even if I clean as I go, it's still....” he closed his eyes, swallowing. “Does that make sense?”

“No one likes to clean.” she intoned. “And if you want to take a nap, go ahead. You got less sleep than I did last night.” Rey managed a smile, “and don't try to deny it.”

“Wouldn't dream of it, Gingersnap.” He mumbled as the heater kicked on and the motion of the car lulled him into slumber.

*

“Thank you, again, for letting me use your kitchen.” Leia set the cake pan on the stove. “I always feel a little weird cooking in someone else's house.”

“It's no bother. I don't care what you see on YouTube, cooking with a hotel coffee pot is not a good idea. The mess alone...” Baze answered, not looking up from the vegetables he was dicing. “And it smells wonderful. I never had the patience for serious baking. Not outside of reading the directions on the box.” He shook his head. “Chirrut and Han have been far too quiet for my liking.”

She looked towards the family room door. “Maybe they're sleeping. Han spent the better part of the night watching updates on the tornado outbreak, hoping they'd mention the one in Wichita Falls, but given the news from Oklahoma and Kansas...” She sighed as she pulled off the oven mitts.

“It's snowing.” Han's voice called from the other room. “and it doesn't look like a simple flurry.”

“At least it's Saturday.” Baze set the knife down and walked to the kitchen window, making some odd sort of noise. “I knew I didn't like the look of the sky this morning. Now we'll see if the good city gets the plows out or not.” He came back to the counter. “Or just the salt trucks. Better for them to get the main roads first.” He grumbled something she couldn't make out, except for 'homeowner's association'.

“You have both. Impressive.” Leia chuckled, leaning against the counter. “When it snows in Raleigh, I think the public officials run around in circles in panic for at least three hours before they realize they need to do something about it.” She shook her head. “Incoming category four hurricane, no problem. Two inches of snow? End of the world.”

“Let's be fair, Princess.” Han called. “Category four is reason to worry, if only for wind and hail.” He came into the kitchen, leaning against the door-frame. “It's the storm surge we never have to concern ourselves with.” He shook his head. “Remember the time we were up at Amilyn's in December and it snowed two feet? You went nuts and Ben thought it was the best thing ever.”

Baze chuckled. “How old was he?”

“Ten. He didn't shut up about it until what, August?” Han remained where he was as Chirrut came into the room, setting a photo album on the counter.

“I am going to get the down blanket out of the closet for Rey.” he moved with clear purpose towards the hall. “You didn't move it again, did you? Baze?”

“No.” the man answered, “and put the second one on the guest bed.”

Leia cleared her throat. “I'm sure we'll manage with the coverlet, Baze.” she'd lost the argument with the two men to stay here at the house until her and Han's flight Monday morning. “Really.”

“Nonsense.” Baze added the thick chunks of celery to the pot of soup. “Your husband looks like a blanket thief.”

“I'm sorry, there's too much testosterone in the air.” Leia walked out of the kitchen, following Chirrut. “Do you need any help?”

“A second set of hands is always nice.” He opened the linen closet and reached up to the top shelf, pulling down two blankets, one purple, the other the color of slate. “Thor should not make beds.” He handed her the second one. “While he can, he would much rather lie on the pillows than try and put them back where they go.” He opened the door at the end of the hall. “Xiǎo hǔ keeps her room clean, and Baze changed the sheets this morning.”

“Right.” Leia remained in the hallway, feeling uncertain as she looked into Rey's bedroom. Done in a buttery yellow with dark blue accents, and glow in the dark stars were plastered all over the ceiling. A large map of the world was posted on one wall, with more stars stuck to numerous locations. Places Rey must have flown to, she supposed. A pennant for the Colorado Rockies hung over the bed. “This is nice.”

“Most of Rey's things are here, she lives in such a tiny apartment in Memphis.” he SIGHED as he shook out the blanket, laying it across the full sized bed. “She thinks we do not know. But we do.” he said something she couldn’t make out, smoothing out wrinkles. “Parents always know.”

Leia let out a breath. “We just don't mention it, because much as it pains us, we know children love their independence. In hindsight, letting go of the seat of the two-wheeler was the easiest.” She stepped into the room as Chirrut finished with the blanket.

“Xiǎo hǔ was very sad when she learned she could not go to the school where Baze and I teach. She didn't understand.” He gave Leia a knowing look. “But even if she could have, she would have not liked it when she turned a certain age.”

“Ben was terrified I would be upset he didn't want to go to UNC.” she chuckled. “I told him as long as he didn't go to the University of Kansas or Alabama, it was fine.” she swallowed. “Of course, I probably wouldn't have cared, at the time, I just wanted him to get better.”

“So where did he go?” Chirrut adjusted a pillow before walking back out of the room and towards the guest bedroom.

“University of Arizona, and he drug Rose along with him.” she set the blanket on the bed and started to unfold it. “I do not want to be in Ben's shoes when he learns he knew Armitage was going to propose to her yesterday.” She paused, “wait, I know he helped Taj pick out the ring, so he might be in the clear.”

Chirrut came over and helped her. “Was this a case of everyone knew but Rose?”

“I think so.” Leia rubbed her temple, “I believe Rose had a feeling he was planning to, but had no idea when.”

“Perhaps Ben and Rey will arrive sooner than expected, and we can give them the fussing over before the interrogations start.” He smiled, “do you and Han still want the kitchen?”

“It's your house. You should get to use the dining room.” She answered with a laugh as Thor came into the room to investigate the suitcases.

*

The snow had turned from a dusty, flurry-like consistency to the fat, heavy sort Rey had grown to expect when it came outside of winter. The kind which killed trees in the fall, the heavier snow and iced over leaves causing branches to snap. This time of the year, however, spring wasn't out in full force, even if it was April. Keeping her grip on the wheel slightly loose, she let out a deep breath as they turned off the main road and into her dads' subdivision. “The salt trucks haven't come through here yet.”

“Well, they probably didn't think it was going to turn into this mess.” Ben answered, “and it's a good thing we both packed hooded sweatshirts.” He frowned, “I think my winter coat is already in the back of my closet.”

“Mine's on the hook next to my door.” she chuckled, “because winter's over in Memphis, but I keep it there until June, because flying to Alaska.” She eased the car around the corner, grimacing at the noise the tires made. “Not that it gets to stay put away for long.”

“At least this isn't ice.” He set his hand out to hold onto the dashboard as they half slid down the street. “And we're almost there.”

“Right.” she let out a breath. “and there's a warm dinner and who knows what else waiting for us after two more turns.” she bit her bottom lip. “Though I suspect some time between when we hung up with them last night and now, my dad convinced both your parents to stay in the guestroom so the time spent is almost equal.”

He grinned. “Something tells me we’re both getting a long question and answer period with our respective in-laws after dinner.” He shook his head. “I hope there's tea.”

“Oh there's going to be tea.” Rey eased her foot off the break as they came to the right street. “and a good deal of fussing over. Which I'm not going to protest.”

“I think we need it.” Ben let out a breath. “and a good night's sleep.”

“Yeah, no more early mornings for us. Not until we have to fly back to Memphis on Thursday.” she stated. “we'll figure out moving stuff later.” She tightened her grip on the wheel, keeping the car straight and slow. “Well, at least the driveway is cleared off.” she felt her whole mood change as she saw a figure in a brown coat come out of the garage and start to scatter something from a small bucket. “There's Dad.” she slowed the car as another figure came out of the garage, this one in a dark coat and a very bright pink scarf. “You didn't tell me your mom was short.”

“I didn't think it mattered. And almost everyone's short to me.” He gave her a sheepish look. “Including you.”

“It's kind of nice.” She put the car into park. “This is going to be crazy.” Rey was surprised her voice didn't crack as she turned off the car. “I say we just grab our bags and go for it.” She zipped up her hoodie. “I'll lock it after we're in the garage.”

“Let's go.” Ben answered, opening his door.

Cold was an understatement as she got out, shut one door and opened the rear one, barely noticing Ben grabbed both of the suitcases and his own carry-on, leaving her to snag her backpack and they hurried through the snow and came to a stop inside the garage without saying a word. “Holy crap, it's winter again.”

“Exactly what I said, Xiǎo Hǔ.” Dad came over and brushed snow off the top of her head. “You two get inside before you catch your death of a cold, chop chop!”

“Yes, sir.” Ben answered, adjusting his hold on the bags. “and hi, mom.”

“Later.” Mrs. Solo shook her head. “You two are in serious trouble.”

Rey didn't bother to reply, hitting the lock button on the key fob before leading the way into the house. “She's joking, right?”

“Pretty sure she is.” He replied, letting out a long groan when they came inside. “Did we travel back in time to February?” He shed his hoodie and his shoes.

“Possibly.” she let out a breath, kicking her own shoes off. “Certainly feels like it.”

“Rey?” Papa's voice called as they came into the kitchen. “Xiǎo Hǔ?”

“Yes, Papa, it's me and Ben.” She answered and two seconds later was caught up in a bear hug, which she gladly returned.

“We've been worried since the call ended yesterday.” He let out a breath and pulled back, kissing both of her cheeks. “And don't tell me I shouldn't. I will never listen.”

“I know, Papa.” she felt sheepish. “Now...” she couldn't even start the next word to introduce Ben to her Papa before the man pulled him into a bear hug of his own, including ruffling her husband's hair. “Papa!”

“It's nice to meet you too, sir.” Ben eked out as Papa released him, his face completely pink, and she suspected not all of it was from the cold.

“Bosh, you can call me by my first name, Chirrut.” His expression changed. “Sir sounds so wretchedly formal. Your father was just telling me about his friend who coaches for the Nationals, and why you and he must refrain from becoming Rockies fans.”

The door opened behind them. “Let's get these kids settled, then we can have dinner.” Dad said, the heavy smell of chicken and something else, something sweet, suddenly filled Rey's nose and her stomach rumbled. “Please tell me you two ate lunch.”

“Nothing really substantial, no.” Ben answered before she could. “We wanted to get here before the weather and well...”

“Of all the things _Back to the Future II_ predicted, why couldn't the exact weather reporting be the thing which came true?” Mrs. Solo said as she took off her coat.

“Well, on the bright side, a soda doesn't cost twenty dollars.” Papa added with a laugh as another man, Ben's father, came to join them in the kitchen.

*

Ben didn't know who was more relieved the parents decided they were all too tired to go into heavy discussions after dinner, and opted instead to bring out the photographs and start embarrassing the two of them with stories they had either forgotten about or hadn't thought of sharing yet. It also proved something else; parents with just one kid were absolute fiends at documenting next to everything.

The only difference he could tell was his life in pictures started with a very blurry sonogram photos at roughly three months before he was born, and Rey's started at age five. When he'd gone down the hallway to the bathroom, he'd noted it was covered in the same sort of framed portraiture his parents had, including the exact same frame which held photos from every year of school from kindergarten to the end, concluding with a large cut-out for senior year.

Once the clock read ten-thirty, however, everyone agreed it was time to get some sleep.

He covered a yawn as he finished unfolding the sofa bed, relieved he wouldn't have to lie on it diagonally, as he'd had to on countless futons. “It's better than the floor.” He sighed as he picked up the pillows and tossed them into place.

“Why are you out here by yourself?” Baze's voice came from behind him and he turned. “Or is Rey in the bathroom?”

Ben couldn't stop the shrug. “Rey said she wanted to be alone. So I'm sleeping here and she's sleeping in her room.” He didn't see the big deal, besides, the two of them still felt awkward about sharing a bed. Not that he was going to tell Baze.

“You need a blanket.” The older man said flatly and went down the hall, saying something in Mandarin under his breath, coming back a minute later with a thick comforter which smelled faintly of detergent. “We haven't had to use the sleeper sofa in years, so she may have forgotten we can't keep anything besides the sheets with it. Miracle she remembered you needed pillows.”

“It's fine. I had a nap in the car this afternoon, she didn't.” The two of them unfolded the blanket, spreading it out. “We've had enough fun in the past five days to last us until November.”

“Ah, just in time for Thanksgiving.” Baze laughed, “which does not need to be discussed until the other side of Labor Day.”

“The way time goes, September will show up a week after the Fourth of July.” He ran a hand through his hair as Chirrut came into the room. “This isn't an ambush, is it?”

“Of course not.” Chirrut laughed, “I don't believe it would be fair to your parents if we did, Benjamin.” He smiled, “don't get lost finding the bathroom in the night.”

“It's the first door on the left.” Ben answered, “or it's the room which doesn't have anyone snoring in it.”

“I don't snore!” Rey's voice called from the hallway.

“Yes you do.” Baze answered before Ben could. “You forgot to get your husband a blanket, young lady.” he walked out of the room, speaking rapidly in Mandarin and a moment later, he heard her start to reply.

“Don't mind them.” Chirrut shook his head. “They're tired and when they're tired, they get grumpy.”

“Everyone's grumpy when they're tired.” Ben answered, sitting down on the bed, flinching at the groaning sound of the springs under his weight.

“True.” He smiled again. “Good night, Benjamin.”

“Good night, Chirrut.” He waited until the man had disappeared into the hallway before turning out the lamp and settling into bed, listening to the conversation end with a shutting door and water running in the bathroom. His parents were probably already asleep. He tucked the pillow under his chin, closing his eyes, focusing on the sound of the wind as he drifted off.

*

Rey rolled over, trying to determine what time it was. Given the way the sunlight was streaming around the gaps in the blinds, it was well after eight in the morning. She stretched her arms over her head, yawning. “Well, damn.” she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She frowned as she heard muffled laughter and she leaned over to check her phone. “Nine thirty?” she shook her head, throwing back the covers. “I need coffee.”

She made her way down the hall, hoping she wasn't the last person up.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” Papa's voice snapped her from her thoughts and it took Rey a full minute to process the scene before her. All the parents, save her dad, were sitting at the kitchen table, and Ben and Dad were at the counter, making what looked like enough breakfast for a small army.

“No conversation before coffee.” she muttered, going towards the pot. “You could have come and woken me up.” She directed at Ben.

“Nope.” He replied, not looking at her. “I may have known you for less than a week, but I know better.”

“Insufferable Fluffy.” she grimaced as she heard her dad laugh.

“Why are you so upset your husband is a quick learner, young lady?” Papa quipped. “Not all women are so fortunate.”

She opened the cabinet where the mugs were kept, frowning when she saw her favorite, the one with the stars and planets all over it, wasn't there. “Where's my space mug?” she turned in time to see Ben drinking out of said cup. “That's mine!”

“I got to the kitchen first.” He answered, taking another sip.

“And he offered to help cook breakfast.” Dad put in.

Rey took down another mug, this one covered in sunflowers, and filled it with coffee, going over to the kitchen table, where Ben's parents looked perfectly placid. “What?”

“It's not like he knew which mug was yours, Kiddo.” Han said, wrapping his hands around the mug she remembered giving Papa for his birthday when she was ten. The one with Gonzo on it. “When you come to our house, you can use his favorite mug.”

“Don't worry, Ben's mug has his name on it, so you won't have to guess.” Leia made a tutting noise. “I still think those things multiply when we're not looking.”

“Same thing happens with the sink in the teacher's lounge.” Dad commented. “Someone usually ends up washing them all, even though there's a sign which clearly states you're supposed to clean up your own mess.”

“I know you washed them last Tuesday.” Papa stated. “Just as I washed them two weeks ago on Thursday.”

Rey took a large sip of coffee, watching Ben over the rim of her cup. She wasn't exactly angry about him using her mug, it wasn't like it sat idle in the cupboard waiting for her return. Maybe it was seeing someone else use it, when she was used to it always waiting for her. It felt weird. “I should take my mug with me.”

“You’re more than welcome to, Xiǎo Hǔ.” Papa stated, “or perhaps your dad and I want to keep it here, so you have an incentive to come back.”

“Wait until she's finished her first cup of coffee.” Leia said softly. “Rey's still waking up.”

“Thank you.” She muttered, looking down into the dark liquid before drinking some more. “What's for breakfast?”

“Deep fried shoes.” Papa answered, “as you would tell your friends who stayed over, before they learned what it really was.”

“You sure you don't need any help?” Leia looked towards Ben and Dad.

“I have a helper.” Dad stated, chuckling as he thumped Ben on the back. “Scallion pancakes, pot stickers, and fruit salad.” he paused, “I feel like we're missing something.”

Rey kept her focus on her mug, zoning out the conversation across the room. This whole situation felt strange; not wrong, exactly... she suspected if the six of them were sitting at the Solo house in North Carolina, it'd be Ben who felt the way she did right now. She snapped from her thoughts as the coffee pot appeared out of the corner of her eye and Ben filled it back up. “Thank you.” she mumbled.

“You're welcome.” He kissed the top of her head. “And good morning, Gingersnap.”

“Aren't these two adorable?” Han chuckled, “they're going to be stupid about each other this time next year.”

“Ha!” Dad interjected. “They probably already are, but aren't ready to admit it!”

Rey was certain she was pink from her scalp to her toes as Ben went back across the room and she took another sip of coffee, deciding it was best to keep silent.

“And here I thought you didn't believe in love at first sight, Baze.” Papa shook his head. “I've told you time and time it exists.”

Leia rolled her eyes and gave Rey a sympathetic smile. “Is it me, or are we in a room with children?”

“I don't know what you're complaining about Mom.” Ben stated, “this is how you raised me!”

“He's got you there, Princess.” Han chuckled, winking at Rey. “Don't worry, he's not usually so dramatic.”

Rey took a sip of coffee and smirked. “But it's Ben's day to use the drama. I got it yesterday. Tomorrow we're sharing.”

*

Rose idly turned the page of the bridal magazine Paige had left in a prominent place on the kitchen table, and she took another sip of tea. The whole situation still felt surreal to her and she glanced across the table at Taj, who had kept his attention on the documents in the binder from his coach; full of things he was supposed to work on before the season started.

Like hockey season didn't just end two weeks ago.

“Where's your sister?” Taj took a drink from his own mug. “She left early.”

“She and Jessica went out for brunch with Jessica's parents.” she answered, “which means I'm going to have to make her a hangover cure for dinner.” She made a face. “Some of these dresses are so ugly.” she set her mug down. “and the crazy thing is, someone's going to think it's absolutely gorgeous.”

“You know your sister is going to be stupid about this.” He smiled, “and you'll be disappointed if she doesn't.” he paused, “you don't want to elope, do you?”

“Like you don't want to force all your teammates into suits.” she grinned. “Besides, if you win the Stanley Cup next year, we can use it for a punch bowl at the reception.”

He grimaced. “As much fun as that would be, I don't trust it getting clean enough – and who has punch at weddings these days?”

“Point.” Rose sighed, stretching her arms over her head. “I don't even like punch and I don't trust your teammates not to spike it.” She grimaced as a joint popped. “My mother will probably be here this afternoon, and want to start talking about...” she yawned. “We've been engaged for what, thirty six hours?”

“I'm sorry, Rose. Have you met your mother?” Taj grinned, “it's like when I showed up a few days after a game for dinner and she wanted to go slug the guy who'd caused the wicked bruise on my face.” he took a sip of tea. “I'd have paid good money to watch it. Mrs. Hahn Tico, all four foot nine of her taking on six foot six Teddy Gardner of the Chicago Black-hawks.”

“All she has to do is kick him in the knee.” she quipped, draining the last of her tea. “I've seen you play, Armitage. You can get downright aggressive when you need to.” She stood to refill her mug.

“Can't let the Cardinals have all the sports glory in St Louis.” he answered as the doorbell rang and he looked at his watch. “You don't think your mom's here this early, do you?”

“No.” She put her mug down and went through to the door, checking the visitor through the side window before opening the door, leaving the chain in place. “I think you have the wrong house.” she said to the young woman in a Grub Hub shirt, who was unzipping her bag.

“Rose Tico?” The girl replied, pulling out a sheet of paper. “I have brunch for you and a Taj Hux from the Ruby Slipper Cafe, paid for by... the St Louis Blues defensive line, congratulations on the engagement you crazy kids.”

She undid the chain and opened the door wider. “Taj, your teammates ordered us food.”

“What?” he came over from the kitchen as the girl handed Rose two boxes and pulled three more out. “How much food is this?”

“I don't make it, I just deliver it.” the girl answered, setting the boxes in Taj's arms. “It's all paid for, including tip, so you two enjoy your meal!” She zipped her bag back up. “By the way, I saw the food truck, I've had your fries, and they are so amazing. Please tell me you're going to be parked down in your usual spot down near the steamboat museum tomorrow.”

“Of course we will, it’s our Monday place!” Rose grinned, “I didn't get your name.”

“Oh,” she pointed to her name badge. “Sally. You two have a great day!” She turned and headed back up the walk.

Taj looked down at the boxes in his arms. “I think this might be several of my teammates announcing their candidacy for becoming a member of the wedding party.”

Rose kicked the door shut with her heel. “I thought I was supposed to have the friends who did that.” she frowned, “though I think Paige would gladly relinquish the title of maid of honor to Ben, if only for the lack of responsibilities.”

“I smell something deep fried.” they went into the kitchen. “Where did she say this was from?” They set the containers down.

“Ruby Slipper Cafe.” She took out two plates. “Which means there better be candy bacon bites, or someone's in trouble.”

“Are you going to make Ben wear a dress?” Taj quipped as he got out silverware. “Or are you going to spare us?”

“No, Ben doesn't have to wear a dress.” She made a face. “Of course, he might if I asked.” She paused, catching his eye. “Are you thinking what I'm thinking?”

“What, that instead of us having one last wild night before the wedding, we have a joint one where the guys wear dresses and the girls wear suits?” He paused, “and we all wear matching sneakers?”

“Well, this is New Orleans, no one so much as bats an eye at that sort of thing.” she started to open the containers, grinning at the sight of the fried green tomatoes. “We could sing karaoke.”

*

Ben had honestly hoped the parents would have forgotten about the question and answer session, but alas, after the breakfast dishes were cleared away and the kitchen cleaned, he'd almost been hustled by his elbows into the dining room. Now, still holding onto the space mug Rey was probably going to rip his arms off for using, he had no idea if he was supposed to talk first. Well, at least he and Rey had lost the cameras days ago, which would have made this twice as bad. He took a sip of coffee, trying to smile and failing.

They were seated in such a way he could see Rey sitting at the kitchen table, facing his parents, and he was thankful the house didn't have one of those awful open concepts which gave absolutely no privacy to anyone.

Well, it was better than the two of them sitting side by side facing all four parents.

“Is something wrong?” Baze's voice was flat.

“Is that a trick question?” He blurted before he could stop himself.

“Yes!” Rey answered, and Chirrut turned towards the door.

“You mind your own trouble, young lady!” He said before shifting back to face front and under the table, Ben felt Thor settle on his feet. “My dog likes you, Benjamin. He doesn't like everyone.” he smiled, “or he's trying to protect you.”

Ben glanced under the table. “I think he's in league with the two of you to keep me in my chair.” He took a sip of coffee. “Revolting, getting an innocent doggie to do your dirty work.”

Baze's stern face cracked and he began to laugh. “He's too clever!” He said to Chirrut. “What are we going to do with him?”

“I think we should keep him even if our daughter doesn't.” he replied, taking a sip of tea. “He can cook and is an excellent dishwasher.”

“Hey!” Rey retorted from the kitchen. “I can hear you!”

“Oh she can learn, she just has to spend a week at Amilyn's.” Mom stated. “Granted, it might prove a little unconventional... but....”

“The woman who taught Ben how to cook a pizza with tin foil and a car engine?” Rey stated and Ben felt his ears going pink. “Sounds like fun.”

“Tell me you didn't.” Baze gave him a stern look. “Not with the nice Subaru you drove here.”

“Of course not.” He took a bigger sip of coffee and leaned towards the doorway. “Why don't you see if you can figure out who hit the bigger moose with an airplane.”

“Is hitting a moose some kind of pilot right of passage?” Mom interjected. “Cassian says he's hit one too.” she made a disgusted noise. “Though it's not like airplanes have horns.”

Chirrut cleared his throat. “We are getting nowhere and the children will not fall for the seriousness, not now.” He lifted his chin. “Unless you think otherwise, Benjamin.”

“I'm sorry, sir, I didn't know I needed to bring my college transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and my last performance review from work.” He quipped and he saw Baze's smirk over the rim of the coffee mug.

“Who'd write you letters of recommendation?” Dad called from the other room.

“Aunt Amilyn and Uncle Lando, because if I asked Rose to do it, she'd threaten bodily harm upon rejection.” He kept his voice flat. “And you know it.”

“Rey, you needn't look so worried.” Mom stated, “who would write yours?”

“Don't say Poe!” Ben said before Rey could answer. “say his grandmother!”

“He has a point,Xiǎo Hǔ. We've met Captain Dameron, and he would not get the letter turned in on time.” Chirrut sighed, “so now what are we to do?”

“How about a normal conversation, with all of us at the same table?” There was a screeching sound as Rey pushed back her chair and she came into the dining room, sitting down on Ben's left, switching her coffee mug for his. “Don't ever use my space mug again.”

Ben picked up the second mug, taking a sip of coffee before putting it back down. “Yes, dear. I won’t.” He intoned as his parents came into the room and joined them at the table. “At least for this visit.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somehow, it's the end of June. The weeks since Ben and Rey left Denver have flown past, and without cameras, Rey had lost track of time. Badly. The parents have started plotting.

Rey rolled over in bed, frowning as she stretched. She was alone, which meant Ben had let her sleep late. She yawned, sitting up and rubbing her face. Time had taken off at an alarming rate once they returned to Memphis and the two of them had moved her belongings from the dinky studio – Ben had used the term without any preamble and she didn't bother to correct him – to his downtown loft. It seemed no sooner had she turned in the keys to her old place than she was back in the cockpit of an airbus, taking off into the wild blue yonder and barely registering when she came back to the loft and crashed into sleep for twelve hours straight. Repeat the process in three to four days.

She scratched the back of her neck as the bedroom door opened and she glanced up to see Ben carrying a stack of folded clothes over to her dresser. “Did you do my laundry?”

He set the items down. “I'm sorry, you had socks which I either needed to take to the washing machine or register with the Tennessee Wildlife Department as a new species, though I wasn't certain if I should classify it as animal, vegetable, or mineral.”

Rey scoffed, “impossible, I have no such socks. Not unless I packed a bunch of them in a trash bin when I moved and packed food on top of them..” She leaned back against the headboard, pinching the bridge of her nose. Thinking about it, she would do something like that. “What's today's date?”

“June twenty-eighth. It's Wednesday, and it's around ten thirty.” He let out a breath. “I'll bring you some coffee.” he paused in the doorway. “What do you want for breakfast?”

She shook her head. “Coffee is all I need right now, thanks.” she gave Ben a smile as he left the room, and she pulled up her knees, resting her arms on them, trying to comprehend how the end of June had gotten here so damn fast. Weeks ran together worse than they normally did; and so what if they had left Denver in the snow and came back to Memphis almost ready to burst into the dreaded humidity of the summer?

This was the eighth week of her and Ben's marriage.

Ben came back into the room, carrying two stout mugs and handed her the one in his left hand before sitting down on the bed. “If you're about to ask where the time went, I don't know. Because the day you went back to work, I got a call from the dreaded river people. Without so much as a hello, they demanded I find them an old looking high school and a town which looks entirely All-American, but not extremely so.”

She took a drink of coffee. “Dreaded river people?”

“More commonly known as Amazon.” He chuckled, taking a sip from his own mug. “The lovely people dismissed my first four options, and started singing my praises when I presented them with Daniel Boone High in the lovely town of Brushy Creek, Georgia. Population twelve hundred.”

“The town or the high school?” she quipped, clasping her mug.

He chuckled, “cute. The town. No, I don't know what their little drama is about. The reason they want to shoot in the south is because it's cheaper and less likely to run into trouble with the weather.” he snorted, “they've obviously never visited Georgia in August.”

“Does anywhere have a nice August?” She countered as she leaned back against the headboard, trying to collect her thoughts. “Did IKEA ever deliver those bookshelves I ordered? It seems they should have been here by now.”

“They did.” Ben didn't look at her as he took another sip of coffee. “Three weeks ago. I put them together two weeks ago and are against the wall you picked out. I’ve put nothing on them, but I have removed the dust regularly. I know you said you wanted to assemble them yourself, but I got a little tired of dodging boxes.”

Rey put her mug down and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. “I swear, I'm not normally this out of it. I have no idea what's...” she stilled as she felt his hand on her arm and gently took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently. “I'm sorry.”

“Well, I guess you’ve answered my question on if you want to get divorced or not. If you haven't noticed the bookshelves, I cringe to think what else might happen.” He looked down at her hand. “But if you want to, I'll understand.”

“I haven't exactly...” she sighed, “I can't believe I've gone this hard at work for nearly seven whole weeks and you said nothing. I know I told you all I did when I lived at my studio was sleep and laundry. But surely I did something else...”

“Well, you haven't forgotten any riveting dinner conversations. You come back from the airport after flying things all over the planet and say you don't want to talk. I say okay, ask you if you want something to eat, and there we go.” he squeezed her fingers again. “You haven't driven back to your old apartment once either.”

“You're trying to make me feel better.” she picked up her mug, frowning. “Where...” she turned the cup around, “you got me a NASA mug with my name on it?”

“Yeah.” He took a drink of coffee, shrugging. “Because your dads wouldn't let you take the space mug when we left Denver. It came in the mail yesterday, so no, you aren't completely oblivious.”

“So I've more or less ignored you for the past six weeks, apart from a few words here and there?” She put the mug down and tugged on his sleeve as she saw his shoulders slump.”Oh shit, Rose will kill me if she finds out about this. She doesn't know, does she?”

“No.” He let out a weak chuckle. “Although I have had a few interesting conversations with Baze and Chirrut. Usually whenever you text them instead of me upon landing.”

Rey pushed back the covers and climbed over to Ben, wrapping him in a tight hug, a feeling of relief washing over her as his arms came around her waist and she pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I'm sorry. I've been pretty shitty, haven't I?”

“If I agree with your statement, are you going to get angry with me?” He mumbled against her shoulder. “Because right now, you have me in a fairly vulnerable position, Gingersnap.”

“No, you don't have to say it out loud.” She eased her grip, smoothing down his hair before running her fingers through it, catching Ben's sharp inhale. “I knew you had lovely soft hair, Fluffy.” She kissed his temple, easing her hold on him. “I feel like I should do something for you, or for us...” she let out a squeal as he pulled her into his lap. “You want more hugs?”

“Sure,” he kissed her forehead. “But you haven't had a full cup of coffee, or breakfast,” he kissed her right cheek. “So, I'm going to set you down,” he kissed the left. “And you can follow me into the kitchen while I make us something to eat, and you can finish your coffee.” He kissed her nose before giving her one last hug and placing her back on the bed. “Could you also, I dunno, maybe finish unpacking? Or at least, make a big dent in it? Please?”

“I am such an inconsiderate person.” She answered as he stood and she picked up her mug, following him. “Seriously. How on earth did you put up with this crap from me?” she took a drink as they came out of the bedroom.

“Well, you are usually gone four out of seven days a week. Sometimes five when your schedule gets wonky or you have to fly out of the country.” Ben walked over to the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out a container of eggs, cheese, butter, and something she couldn't identify.

Rey made her way over to the kitchen island, dodging around a small stack of boxes and a large yellow trash bag. “Oh, there's my winter wardrobe.” she chuckled, sliding onto one of the bar stools.

“Yeah, I might have moved that around the room a couple of times, I didn’t know the contents.” He reached into a cabinet and took out an electric griddle. “I don't know who's turn it is to use the drama today.”

She almost spat her coffee back into her mug in surprise. “I think we've had enough fun with the drama.” she sighed, wrapping both hands around the cup. “Though I forward the motion we share it on Thanksgiving.”

“Seconded.” he wrinkled his nose. “Your dads keep asking me if they should send your books. I told them you needed to unpack everything else first. Sort of like eating your vegetables before you can have dessert.”

She sat up straighter, hating the wretched feeling in the pit of her stomach for how long Ben had dealt with her neglect of him without so much as a whimper. Well, from what she could remember. Today wasn't the first time she'd seen him set a stack of her clean clothes on her dresser, or brought her a cup of coffee in bed. “I'm going to take you to dinner tonight.”

“What?” Ben looked up from the bowl he was mixing. “Why are you thinking about dinner when we haven't had breakfast yet?”

“Because it's a plan.” she grinned, feeling a little better already at the idea. “Think about it, you won't have to cook and I won't have to do dishes or clean the kitchen.” she paused, “I have been doing the dishes, right?”

“Yup.” he took a sip of coffee. “And unloading the dishwasher, and never once have you unloaded dirty dishes thinking them clean.” he made an odd expression. “Though there was the time around the start of this month where you ran the machine twice.”

She covered her eyes, chuckling. “I can see myself doing something dumb like that. A second cleaning can’t exactly hurt, I just made sure they weren’t just clean, but extremely clean. And I haven't put the wrong kind of soap in. I know I've never made that mistake.”

Ben snickered as he turned on the griddle. “No. Regardless, I'm keeping the Cascade Pods and the Tide Pods in separate locations – just in case.”

She picked up her mug again, glowering. “Insufferable Fluffy.”

“You like it when I act insufferable.” He tossed his head, shaking the hair out of his face. “You think it's one of my cutest attributes.”

“You're not cute,” she snorted, “you're adorable.” She took a sip of coffee.

“I’ll take adorable, adorable is good..” He answered and turned his attention towards cooking.

*

“Nowhere does it say these dresses come in petite sizes!” Rose tossed her copy of the most recent edition of _Brides_ magazine onto the driver's seat of the food truck, disgusted. “Why don't the people who publish these things realize how many short women there are?”

“It's a conspiracy between them and the designers who are keeping practical pockets out of all women's pants.” Paige answered, sticking another potato on the slicer and pulling the lever down with a satisfying _whack._ “And don't get me started on jeans which come already shredded they want full price for. If you want that look so badly, go to the Goodwill, watch a YouTube tutorial and if you screw it up, turn them into a pair of cutoffs.”

“What do you think the odds of finding a wedding dress with pockets are?” She came up to the small sink and turned on the water to wash her hands. “So much poof, there has to be room in there for a decent pair of pockets.”

“They can probably put them in there, if the design is right.” Her sister let out a breath, “given the hemlines, and what they're likely to have to take off, they could make some massive ones when they alter the gown.”

She threw a paper towel into the trash. “Hence the reason to find a place which carries petite sizes. Remember the woman who screamed 'where the hell are her feet?' because some dumb-ass put my size four self in a fourteen when I graduated high school?”

“It's their own fault.” Paige snorted, setting the lid on the bucket of potatoes. “You had on about three layers because you had no fat, no muscle, and it was February in Ohio.” she made a disgusted noise. “Of course, you were more delighted at having hair again than anything else, so getting stuck into a size fourteen was a minor thing.”

“Which is also why I said nothing about having the big bow right above my butt.” she countered. “Then again, I have no butt to speak of.”

“Knock knock.” a voice came from the rear of the food truck.

“Oh no, not you again.” Rose folded her arms in mock anger. “I'm sorry Captain Dameron, but we're not ready to open quite yet.”

Poe inclined his head. “I understand, and given your culture collision fries are food coma inducing and I have a plane to fly in a few hours, I couldn't indulge anyway.” He leaned casually against the door-frame. “I was merely passing by and felt compelled to say hello.”

“You need someone to keep you in line.” Paige said, cleaning off the potato slicer. “You are a troublemaker and I'm certain the only reason your gran has not introduced you to a nice young lady is because she knows you will break her heart.”

“I'm wounded.” He pressed his hand against his chest. “How can you say such things to me, Miss Tico?”

Rose snorted, “shame you only like girls, Paige, otherwise, I'd consider you two drama queens a perfect match.” She shot her sister a look. “Of course, if you did like boys, you'd have started flirting with Ben Solo the second you met him at St Jude's.” She shook her head, going over to the cooler and fishing out a bottle of water. “You look like you need this.” she held it out to Poe.

“Thank you.” he took the offered item. “This city does get miserably hot. Though I believe the lack of constant wind makes it so.” He unscrewed the cap and took several gulps.

“Well, if this is the price we pay for a winter which barely deserves the name.” She shrugged, going back to the counter. “Where are you bound, Captain Dameron?”

“Oklahoma City to Sioux Falls to Bismarck to Baltimore before heading back home.” He took another swallow of water, his expression changing. “Hello, Jack Frost.”

“Hello, Jack Harkness.” Taj's voice sounded strained. “What are you doing here?”

“Reminding me why I'm glad to be a lesbian.” Paige retorted as the man came into view. “Nice disguise.”

Rose could almost see Taj rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses. “Someone has come to talk sensibly!” She came over to the door and leaned down to kiss her fiance on the cheek. “or a cooking lesson.”

“I said I would come and chop vegetables for you today.” He returned the kiss and she stepped aside so he could climb into the truck. “Besides, I saw nothing in the company policy which says I can't wear a St. Louis Cardinals shirt.” He pushed the glasses up so they rested on the top of his head. “All I saw was the only football team I may endorse is the Saints, and I'm not allowed to wear my jersey on the job. Not that I'd want to, I'd probably sweat off ten pounds just sitting in it outside today.”

“No kidding.” Poe said, taking another drink of water. “I still don't get how you can move around on the ice wearing all the required gear and manage to keep your balance.” He shook his head. “Don't even get me started on what the figure skaters are doing.”

“Practice.” Taj answered, “and a great deal of falling.” He went to the sink to wash his hands as Rose cleaned the prep counter. “Fortunately, since I'm wearing plenty of padding, it doesn't hurt as much when you land on your arse.” he snorted, “and yes, I think telling the judges to put on a pair of skates and see them try to blind land a triple toe loop, triple Salchow while wearing what boils down to a bathing suit and tights with spangles is a valid comeback.” He grimaced, “and the judges need to live on the athlete’s diets for a week before the competition.”

Paige made a face, shuddering. “I'm not getting on the ice, for anything.” She glowered at her sister. “Ben knows I’m not getting on the ice, so he better not plan any pre-wedding parties involving it!”

Rose turned to her sister. “You can sit on the sidelines and watch if we decide to go skating. Though he seems pretty on board with the idea of having the guys wear dresses, the girls wear suits for a party. He's even agreed to shave.”

*

Ben felt rather amused as he watched Rey discover what she'd essentially ignored for the past six weeks. From the jar of spare change they'd started for their trip to Hawaii in a few years, to the spaces he'd created in the kitchen cupboards for her dishes – he didn't know what exactly had come over her when they returned from Denver, or why she'd taken so long to snap back into attention, or what had caused it in the first place. He supposed it had something to do with how she stated she compartmentalized her life and really, in terms of their marriage, all she'd basically done was move.

He had taken one look at the sheer number of processed food items in Rey's pantry when they packed up her studio and made it his new mission in life to improve her diet, and while he felt a little silly sending her off to work with a large lunchbox full of sandwiches, fruit, and a slew of healthy snacks, he would rather her eat something good for her as opposed to something which had a weekly recommendation of sodium in it every day.

Granted, he didn't know what else she ate while she was gone, but knowing at least some of it was healthy helped. He upended the bag of peanuts into the large container of trail mix he was putting together, wondering if he should go ahead and make a second batch with the granola in the pantry.

“Did we make plans for the Fourth?” Rey came out of the second bedroom, carrying a stack of bowls, setting them down on the kitchen counter.

“No, I think you're working, and I have to fly over to Charleston on the fifth for a casting call.” Ben took another look at the bowls. “Are those for ramen, soup, or pasta?”

“Whichever.” she picked up the top one, turning it over in her hands. “I found these in a ceramic sale at the University of Colorado years ago, and Papa always told me nothing keeps food warm as stone.”

“You mean like frying chicken in cast iron?” He set the bowl down, trying to not to laugh at her expression. “Wait, don't answer, I can draw my own conclusion on cooking.”

“Did you always have an electric wok?” She frowned, “because you have the exact same one Dad has, we don't have a gas stove at the house.”

Ben refilled her mug, shaking his head. “Yes, I've had the wok for a few years. Rose gave it to me for Hanukkah, she had a minor freakout when she learned I was using a regular frying pan to make stir-fry and curry.”

“Is Rose Jewish?” She took a drink of coffee. “I'm sorry, you've probably already told me she isn't, but since you don't celebrate Christmas...” she set the mug down. “I swear, I'm not this forgetful, I just...”

“It's fine, no Rose isn't Jewish, she's Catholic.” He chuckled, “and if you don't know what's what in the kitchen, it's fine. You're not the person who cooks. But do you remember what I said about the pots and pans in the far left cabinet?”

Rey straightened, “those are strictly for kosher cooking.” She took the bowls and set them in the cabinet he'd cleared for her things. “Is there any kitchen appliance you don't have?”

“It's not a matter of what I have and don't have, it's a matter of having room for said things.” he sighed, folding his arms and leaning back against the counter. “You want to make a gift registry list?” He thought for a moment. “I have wanted an InstaPot and air fryer for a while now. You could ask for one of those lightweight indestructible suitcases.”

“It's something to think about.” she came over and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head against his collarbone. “It's time for hugs.”

“Hugs are good.” He returned the embrace, letting out a slow breath. “Your hair smells nice, like lavender.”

She grinned. “You still smell like cucumber melon.” she rubbed her cheek against his shirt. “We haven't done this much, have we?”

“No.” Ben closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of having her close to him. “Busy busy busy, please pass the pepper, do you want another cup of coffee, that's us.”

“Pathetic.” she mumbled, her expression changing. “I wonder if I can send the moving vouchers to my dads, have them pack up all my books in a u-haul and come visit before the school year starts again.”

“I'm sure you can.” he rubbed her back in slow circles. “Considering we didn't need to use them for your move, owing to your friends with the pickup trucks. I heated up a party sized frozen lasagna and it was devoured in its entirety.”

“I do remember the disappearing lasagna..” Rey snickered, “I also remember being upset there weren't any leftovers.” she tightened her hold. “Speaking of, do you like Indian food?” She shifted and he opened his eyes to meet hers. “For dinner.” she kissed his chin and pulled out of his arms, going to the counter and picking up her mug.

He had to fight the urge to follow her. “Indian is good.” He stated as the dryer buzzed. “I hadn't thought about dinner yet, considering it's only two in the afternoon.” He went over to the machine and opened the door, “were you wanting to go somewhere or have food delivered?” He crouched down so he could empty the contents into the basket.

“Go somewhere.” Rey's voice came from right behind him and a moment later, he felt her weight against his back. “Remember, no dishes to clean.” her lips brushed his ear, “I think it's time we took a break.”

He swallowed as he felt her hand slide under his shirt and onto her stomach. “Oh you want to take a break?” He quickly shifted how he was kneeling and she let out a slight yelp as she landed, for the second time today, in his lap. “Comfy?” He nuzzled her neck.

“Quite.” She let out a contented sound. “I believe it’s about time I showed you the rest of my tattoos.” One of her hands slid up into his hair, combing it gently. “Or have I already done so?”

Ben chuckled, “I know about the butterfly on your shoulder blade.” He kissed her cheek, “and I've also seen the healed mark on your stomach from when you had your navel pierced.”

“I guess the tank shirts I sometimes wear to bed would do a lousy job of covering those up.” She grinned, kissing his nose. “I'm guessing you know about my still intact piercings.”

“You mean the ones besides your ears?” he slipped his hands under her shirt, resisting the urge to press her against his half hard cock. “These?” He brushed his thumbs across her nipples, tugging on the barbells gently. “Yes. Though I haven't gotten a proper look at them.”

“I think it's time you did.” She reached down and took the hem of her shirt in her hands, pulling it up and off, tossing it aside. “Much better.” She draped her arms over his shoulders and pressed her mouth to his.

He moved his hands around to her back, holding her closer to him as they kissed, their tongues brushing against one another, neither of them wanting to take control or surrender in the kiss. He felt her hand move up into his hair and he broke away just enough to speak. “What are you up to?”

“A little of this, a little of that.” she shifted her legs so she was more or less kneeling on his lap, “what are you doing?”

“Wondering.” He leaned forward, tracing her nipple with the tip of his tongue before closing his mouth around it, sucking it slowly, keeping his eyes on hers.

Rey let out a hiss as he switched to her other breast, tugging his hair gently. “Wondering what?”

He pulled his lips away, leering up at her. “Wondering if I can make you come just from playing with these pretty tits of yours.”

She grinned down at him, “why don't we take this to bed and find out, Fluffy?”

He chuckled, “what an excellent idea, Gingersnap.” He stood up,and Rey let out a tiny squeak, wrapping her arms and legs around him as he carried her to the bedroom.

*

“It does not matter how you box up the books, Baze, xiǎo hǔ will find something wrong with the method.” Chirrut remained passive from his spot at the desk, listening to his husband move things around in their daughter's room. “Some nonsense about how fiction and nonfiction are placed together.”

“You're not helping, and I'm not weeding them either. Rey knows the contents front to back.” He let out a sigh. “Remember how upset she was when we got rid of a certain fairy tale book of hers?”

“She cried, because it was her favorite, and it didn't matter she was eleven and most girls her age had abandoned such...” He sighed, reaching down to rub Thor between the ears. “Maybe we should try and find a new copy of the book for Christmas.”

There was a loud thump. “I don't remember what the book in question looked like, well, other than it had a red cover and some kind of art, I think it was Hansel and Gretel.” He chuckled, obviously looking at one of the things from the shelf. “She won this American Girl boxed set in a contest at school, didn't she?”

“I think she won something else, something geared towards a boy and traded it with a classmate.” He thought for a moment. “Those are the Molly books, yes?”

“Molly...” Baze muttered, and there was another thump. “Kit, Felicity, Kirsten... how did she get all these books without us noticing?” He chuckled, “oh wait, I remember. The warehouse sale at the second hand bookstore. Ten dollars buys you a grocery bag and however many things you can put into it.”

“I believe you used the same method to acquire almost the entire series of _Forgotten Realms_ and those Bobby Flay cookbooks?” He chuckled, “I still don't think you've tried half of the recipes in any of them.”

“Half of the recipes are the same ones, with slight variations. I should start using them for white elephant gifts and enjoy the fights.” He grunted and there were a few more thumps. “This box is full. I'm still not certain when we can get these over to Memphis.”

“It's only the end of June.” Chirrut frowned as his phone buzzed. “Wonder who is calling...” he took out the device and answered it, “whatever you're selling, we have twenty.”

“Good afternoon to you too, Chirrut.” Leia Solo's voice replied, laughing. “You'd change your mind if I was selling Girl Scout cookies.”

He shifted the phone into speaker mode. “The children have not run off again, have they? I know Rey said she was in Memphis last night, but after this past April, I'm not sure I should believe her.”

“You're terrible.” Baze grumbled, coming over. “How's the weather?”

“Humid and I've given up on getting my crepe myrtle alive,” There was a shuffling noise, the sound of ice in a glass. “Given neither you nor I have a child sobbing over the phone to us their marriage is over, I'm thinking the kids aren't getting a divorce.”

“You want to plot something.” Chirrut stated, smiling. “what are you up to, Professor Solo?”

“I was thinking we could throw Rey and Ben a surprise reception. If they're going to surprise us with a marriage, I consider it fair.” There was a rustling noise. “and I know a young lady in New Orleans who'd be more than willing to let the kiddos think it's a party for her and her semi-famous fiance.”

“We would have to compare school schedules.” Baze offered, “I know your winter break is significantly longer than ours – and you don't have papers to grade. We don't have time to plan something before the summer is over.”

“I'd suggest Thanksgiving, but some people I know get stupidly territorial over the holiday.” another rustling noise. “Not to imagine Rey will likely have to work.”

“She does tend to work on holidays so others may enjoy theirs.” Chirrut thought for a moment. “Are there Thanksgiving plans as of yet?”

“I don't think so.” She cleared her throat, “I'm against us all going to Memphis. The loft doesn't have a big enough table for the six of us, and while Ben's kitchen is decent sized, it's not enough for more than one cook, if you get my meaning.”

“I'm not so bad, am I?” Baze rested his head on Chirrut's shoulder. “And if Rey had to work, she'd never forgive us if we were together and she could not join.” He wrapped his arm around his husband's waist. “Although, if the four of us gathered and planned this surprise during Thanksgiving...”

“Baze, I like the way you think.” Leia chuckled, “you're back early, Han, was there no one else at the DMV?”

“Not for my line.” The other man laughed, “you're off on your scheme to plan a reception again, aren't you?”

“You say that like it's a bad thing, Mr Solo.” Chirrut answered, and he felt Baze stand. “Where are you going?”

“To get a notebook. If we're going to start plotting, I want to have a list.” He replied, “I don't trust any of us to remember all of the details.”

“All we need is plenty of good food and plenty of room for dancing.” he smiled, reaching down to rub between Thor's ears again. “Does Ben want an armadillo groom's cake?”

“Hardly.” Leia scoffed. “Though having a superhero themed one, as long as it's a dark chocolate cake, he's not going to care if it's Marvel or DC.” There was a rustling noise on her end. “Oh, I wanted to ask – is the snow finally gone?”

He laughed as Baze came back into the room. “It is, Mrs. Solo. How is the heat index?”

“Creeping closer to triple digits with each passing day.” she groaned. “But that’'s why someone invented air conditioning – before we knew about such wretched things as heat index.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben grow closer and enjoy a lovely dinner. Han tells Rose about Leia's idea - and she has a far better suggestion of how to pull the scheme off.

Rey's first thought as she awoke from her post coital nap was she didn't know where her clothes were. Her next thought was she didn't care. A soreness she barely registered lingered between her legs, and she could feel a thumb stroking her nipple, followed by a soft pair of lips pressed against the back of her neck. “Did you enjoy our nap as much as I did?”

“Yes, but I woke up about twenty minutes ago, and I was too comfortable to move away.” Ben's voice was soft against her ear. “I didn't feel like looking for your sweet spots while you were still sleeping.” his hand started to slide down her front. “how are you feeling?”

“Wonderful.” She pressed back against him as he kissed her shoulder. “Considering my husband has in just one afternoon, made me come twice before he fucked my brains out with his massive cock making me come harder than I ever have in my life, and I have a feeling he's about to do it again.”

He chuckled, kissing the spot behind her ear. “You have a dirty, dirty mouth.” His hand moved down to her thigh, “you're the one who told me not to hold back once I got you into our bed and had my mouth around one of your nipples.” He pulled her leg up and back over his. “and once I had you naked, you were the absolute definition of wanton.”

“You like my dirty mouth. You just didn’t expect me to have one.” She let out a gasp as she felt the head of his cock nudging against her entrance. “Though maybe now I can start keeping track of time better – knowing what's waiting for me here.”

Ben's hand slid back up to her breast, holding onto it as he shifted his hips, thrusting his cock deep inside her. “Could I interest you in discovering phone sex?” He kissed her temple, “yes, I know about your vibrator, mainly because I saw you washing it last week.” He rocked slowly in and out, letting her body adjust to his. “Pretty bold of you, I might add.”

“And you said nothing, knowing what I'd done on my nights away from here.” She leaned back against him, holding onto his arm, loving how he filled her. “though the idea of you whispering wicked things in my ear before I go to sleep...” she grinned, “I'm going to need a bigger vibrator.”

“If you want to take my measurements to help you select one, you're more than welcome to.” He kissed her shoulder, keeping his pace slow and even. “Though my hand will never compare to your sweet cunt.”

“Speaking of dirty mouths.” she answered, “if you want to get out a pair of my panties and use them during such conversations, I don't mind.” She pulled away from him, rolling onto her other side and sitting up, pushing him onto his back. “I believe it's my turn to pick the position.” She climbed over him, taking his cock in her hand, rubbing the head against her entrance. “My turn to ride.”

“Of course, darling.” Ben answered, taking her hips in his hands, holding her steady as she guided him back inside. “You want me to stay still, let you find your stride?”

“You're wicked.” She grinned down at him, setting her hands on his shoulders as she started to rock her hips back and forth, “Or maybe you like the idea of me tormenting you like this.” She swallowed as one of his hands started to move up her front “Ben...”

“I like watching your tits bounce.” He panted, his hips starting to move in time with hers. “going to have to find some naughty charms for your piercings.” He grinned, “would you like that, Gingersnap?

“You haven't gone snooping, or you'd know what's in my jewelry box.” she whimpered as his cock hit the one spot deep inside her which always made her see stars. “Fuck.” he repeated the motion, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She was too keyed up, too far gone to last... “Ben...”

“Darling.” His arms came around her, pulling her down against him as he thrust up into her, holding her close, his breath hot against her ear. “Let go, I've got you.”

Rey pressed her mouth against his shoulder, muffling her scream as she came, her body shaking from the utter relief and pleasure, vaguely aware of him still driving his cock in and out of her, using her own release to find his own. “Please...”

“Yes, sweetheart,” her lover's voice was soft against her ear as he came, breathing hard. “so good.” He kissed her temple.

She panted against Ben's chest, her heart still racing as she came down from the high, feeling his arms settle over her back. She swallowed, opening her eyes as she felt him rubbing her back in slow circles, certain she had the most dopey smile on her face. “We're going to have to do this a few more times before I go back to work.”

“I have no problems whatsoever spending tomorrow in bed, provided we take meal breaks.” He kissed the top of her head, “Or if you would like to get a head start, we can go have an early dinner.” Ben let out a deep breath, under her ear, she could hear his heartbeat, “and come back here before the crowds start. It is tourist season and I've already seen six Elvis impersonators this week alone. None of them were remotely good, but none of them skimped on the rhinestones.”

Rey chuckled, “If you’re going to spend the kind of money to recreate the King’s outfits, you should make sure the rest of your ensemble works.” She ruffled his hair, grinning. “As for having an early dinner, I can get behind the idea. Besides, I remember seeing thunderstorms in the weather forecast.” she traced the nearly faded port scar along his collarbone, feeling her cheeks grow hot as his hand settled on her rear. “What are you doing?”

“Confirming what I've suspected for several weeks now.” He kissed her forehead. “You have a very cute ass.”

She snorted against his chest. “and you have a big cock.” she grinned, half expecting him to spank her. “It's true.”

“And you love it.” He pulled her closer, kissing her again. “which is why we should get out of bed, get cleaned up and dressed, because the sooner we eat, the sooner we can get back to learning the finer points of the horizontal tango.”

“Insufferable Fluffy.” She grinned as he embraced her. “Though you're right.” She stretched and reluctantly slid off him, sitting up. “And I'm all but completely unpacked now.”

Ben slid his hand down her spine, sighing softly. “You can have the shower first. You have more hair to wash than I do.” He let out a soft groan. “How dressy is the place you're thinking of going?”

“Not suit and tie fancy, but...” she frowned, “business casual, it’s not super dressy, but you feel weird if you wear jeans.” She rubbed the back of her head, looking down at him. “collared shirt, button up or polo. I for one, could use a good portion of naan.”

“Naan is always good.” He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “So is curry.” He yawned, and she shook her head as she got out of bed. “I think your shirt is somewhere by the door.”

“Bother the shirt, and bother me being first in the shower, you're welcome to join me if you want.” she walked into the en suite, flipping on the light, trying to ignore the soreness in her thighs. Rey paused in front of the full mirror, noting the love marks all down her front, and she knew she had more of them on her back. “well, damn.” she went into the shower and turned it on, letting out another groan as the hot water gushed over her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ben come into the bath. “knew it.” she whispered to herself, closing her eyes.

“This is the second good idea you've had today, Gingersnap.” He embraced her from behind, “you want me to wash your hair?”

*

Han volunteered to call Rose, already knowing full well she'd agree to the plan. The real difficult part in the scheme to throw Ben and Rey a surprise reception would be them not finding out. But if his daughter in law was as much of a workaholic as he'd gathered, and Ben tended to hyper-focus in his own job, they might have more trouble in having the couple remember to show up for the party. Of course, if threatened with the Wrath of Rose, or worse, the Wrath of Paige, Ben would arrive at the venue a full three hours early to make sure everything went right.

Getting the kids to the party together and on time was the hard part.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a few deep breaths before hitting Rose's number on his cell, turning the volume all the way up and waited. One ring. Two.

“Hi, Mr. Solo.” How did this girl always sound so damn cheerful. “Ben didn't do something stupid again, did he?”

“No, Rose.” He chuckled. “He's fine, last I checked, which was the day before yesterday.” He took a sip of water. “But he is the reason I called. Leia's got it into her head that he and Rey need a wedding reception, and now she's gone and gotten Baze and Chirrut involved. They want to throw the kids a _surprise_ reception.”

“Let me guess... you need Taj and I to pretend the party is for us.” There was a rustling noise on her end. “Which means you're going to have to have the event in St. Louis.” Rose let out a breath. “If Ben finds out, none of this was my idea.”

“I wouldn't pin this on you.” Han grinned, “but it's good I already knew you'd say yes. I think the others are planning a time to go look at possible venues in St Louis, and bring Rey's books to Memphis as an excuse to come across the country, but not stay around Tennessee long.”

“We'd love to stay but I don't trust the people redoing the neighbor's roof, or some other excuse. If they visit in late July or early August, they can say they need to get ready for the school year.” There was another rustling noise. “Sorry, I'm in the middle of sorting all of the receipts, ” she muttered something in Vietnamese Han couldn't make out. “I'm sure Paige would love to make a beautiful fake invitation.”

“You're already recruiting Ben to use his calligraphy skills for the real wedding, right?” he took a drink of water. “Drives his mother nuts his handwriting is better than hers.”

“It's annoying, but useful.” A pause and a clunk. “Do you have an idea of when they're planning to hold the party? Taj and I are getting close to choosing a wedding date...” she sighed, “does Leia and Îmwe-Malbuses realize how complicated this is? Both logically and logistically?”

Han laughed, “aren't you the one who always says we can't bring logic into things?” He ran a hand through his hair. “The look on that one irritating doctor 's face when you said that to him was priceless.”

“Not as much as the nurses trying not to go into hysterics.” She quipped, and let out a breath. “Making the party supposedly for Taj and I really won't work, not unless you're wanting to have it in September, and good luck finding a decent venue.” More rustling. “One of you two couples could pretend the party is for you, some kind of re-commitment ceremony, or whatever you want to call it.”

He frowned as Leia came into the room and he waved her over to the table. “Rose, could you repeat what you just suggested? Leia wasn't in the room.”

“Sure.” As she did, Han thought the idea sounded even better than the first time. “You can get Ben and Rey involved, just whomever is going to do the pretending, have Ben address the invitations to what you'd call their half of the party.”

“It does give us more time to plan.” Leia tapped her fingers on the table, “besides, the last thing we need to do is plan this whole thing out, have everything in place, and only one of them show up, because – work.”

“I'm fully prepared to bribe Poe Dameron with food, lots of it, to take Rey's shift if it conflicts with the date.” Rose answered, “but keep the party in St Louis, because of the central location and a little less worry about the weather. Well, for part of the year at least.”

“Speaking of dates, have you finalized yours yet, Rose? We don't want to create a conflict either.” Han took a sip of water as Leia got out the yellow tablet paper she'd started making notes on earlier. “You want to call Baze and Chirrut back?”

“In a few minutes, they had to make a Target run.” Leia kept her focus on the paper. “Didn't mean to interrupt you, Rose.”

“It's fine.” The girl answered, “and Taj and I are looking at the middle of May. We know better than to try and hold the wedding during hockey season.”

*

Ben couldn't remember if he'd ever eaten at Indian Palace before. Rey, however, seemed extremely familiar with it, given she'd barely glanced at the extensive menu before picking out her meal. He took a sip of the mango lassi she insisted he try, wondering if it was possible to get a sugar high from fruit. The other good thing about their choice of dinner location was THAT people didn't exactly visit Memphis for Indian food, so the restaurant wasn't as packed as the barbeque place he could see on the other side of the road which had a waiting line out the door.

“So what's the casting call in Charleston for?” Rey asked, setting her glass down. “or is it some kind of hush hush thing?”

“If it was hush hush, the casting call wouldn't be open.” he took another sip of his drink. “It's a disaster movie, but the added bonus of having a historical backdrop. So it's not a matter of not getting hit by a hurricane, it's one of those where it's worse than you think it is. But I know the storm in question isn't one which hit the Carolinas. Might be the Galveston Hurricane.”

She chuckled, “having never been in a hurricane, I can't comment.” she paused, “well, not the hurricane part of a hurricane, but I've experienced the outer bands of one. However, no matter what season it is, you need to pay attention to the weather, even if said storm is just a tropical depression.” she took a sip of her drink. “You battle one nor'easter, you never want to take on another one.”

He shuddered, remembering the few severe winter weather storms he'd encountered, “somehow this tells me that when you're flying together into snow, Dameron makes you land the plane.”

“Not just him, but about half the pilots at FedEx. It'd help if everyone could have uniform terms when it comes to snow. What I think is light snow is completely different from what someone in El Paso thinks it is.” She picked up a piece of naan and tore it in half. “I haven't flown with Dameron recently, he's on the short domestic hops, his gran's sick.” she managed a sigh, “I think the first thing I always ask him when we're in cold weather is if he turned on the engine anti-ice.”

“I'd rather have the person who knows how to drive, or in this case, fly, in the snowy weather than the person who goes into meltdown at just seeing the word in the forecast.” he paused, “well, maybe not meltdown, but...” He spread some of the mango chutney onto his chunk of naan.

“I know what you mean.” Rey scooped some of the mint chutney onto her naan “but given I rarely have to fly those wretched propeller driven planes,” she folded the serving in half. “I take comfort in knowing there's de-icing boots to take care of the wings and at least eighty percent of the airports I fly into know how to handle the weather.” She took a large bite of bread.

“Just because it rarely snows in Houston doesn't mean you can fail to prepare for when it does.” he kept his focus on his food. “You should at least have a plan and know where it is. Though something tells me they don't have plows. Not the kind you can use on a runway.” He took a rather large bite of naan.

“If they do, I've never seen them.” She tapped her fingers against the table. “Though I'm usually a little more occupied with other things when I'm dealing with snow. Such as delays, our place in the backlog of take-offs...” she wrinkled her nose. “I'm always glad during snowy take offs planes do not have horns. And sometimes, I wish they did.”

He wiped at the corners of his mouth. “Birds?”

“Birds.” she groaned, “but still, no horns. I can imagine the pilots of those private planes using them liberally simply because they're carrying someone _important._ ” She took a sip of her own mango lassi. “You have an a-list actor, I've got someone's wedding dress, it needs to get to Boston quicker than so-and-so needs to get to his island in the middle of the Caribbean.”

“I think I know the guy.” Ben quipped, shaking his head as the server came back to their table carrying a tray laden with dishes. “And his fair weather friends.”

“Here we are.” The man said, setting down a serving bowl full of rice, followed by two dinner sized plates. “Mango chicken, for you, madam” he put a silver bowl in front of Rey, “and for you, sir, lamb curry..” He set down a second dish, followed by a third. “and paneer makhani to share. Careful, the dishes are hot.”

“This looks wonderful, thank you.” Rey answered, beaming. He knew the look in her eyes; they hadn't had lunch, and was ready to inhale almost everything.

“Yes, thank you.” Ben added, wondering if he was going to need to defend his curry with a fork.

“Let me know if I can get you anything else. Enjoy your meal.” the server stated, picking up the tray jack and walking away.

Rey picked up her plate and started with the rice. “Don't worry, I may be hungry, but I can't eat all of this.”

“Don't worry about leaving room for dessert, we have ice cream in the freezer at home.” He grinned, “no, I haven't touched your mint chocolate chip half gallon. Well, except to put more stuff in the freezer.”

“You need feeding.” she set the spoon towards him. “and so do I.” She scooped some of her chicken onto her plate, followed by the paneer.

“Careful, I don't want you to burn your mouth.” he turned his attention to filling his own plate.

*

Baze thought Rose Tico's idea brilliant. Since he and Chirrut would celebrate forty years together next March, they were the logical choice. The date coincided with their school's spring break. He also agreed to the idea of keeping it in St Louis, because asking some people to drive or fly to Denver during one of the most unpredictable months in terms of weather of the year was cruel.

He set down his mug of tea as Chirrut came into the kitchen, carrying the scrapbook he swore he'd gotten rid of years ago in a massive new year clean-out. “You kept it.”

His husband set the book down with a flourish. “Of course I did.” He sat down, opening said book and running his fingers over the fabric pinned to the first page. “You wanted xiǎo hǔ to have a lovely wedding and started saving things the day she turned thirteen and developed a crush on the deplorable Mike Fitzgerald.”

“He was an idiot.” He growled, “all boys are idiots, particularly thirteen year old ones. It's why I don't teach middle schoolers.”

“Now now, our son-in-law is not an idiot, he is a fool, remember?” Chirrut grinned, turning the page. “Though I'm afraid we'll not have much to say in the matter of clothes for the party.”

“I think our daughter was more interested in the food at her wedding than anything else.” He shifted the book to scan the contents, “she could have cared less for a fancy, lacy, silly dress, or even the color scheme.” he turned another page, grinning. “Lemon cake, with buttercream frosting – and for some reason, coconut macaroons and chocolate chip cookies on the side.”

“She wanted the macaroons since she worried about having a coconut or chocolate cake and people with allergies.” Chirrut shook his head. “Little egg rolls, mozzarella sticks. Those disgusting mini quiches you two seem to love and I hate.”

“It's because you only like fresh eggs, never anything frozen. I can't make those breakfast casseroles ahead of time, because you claim you can taste ice in eggs which spent forty minutes in a three hundred and fifty degree oven.” he snorted, taking a drink of tea. “You're an egg snob.”

“And you're a tea snob, and Rey is a rice snob. As she should.” He nodded his head, “which reminds me, we should get our son in law a rice cooker, so he can fix the dish the way our daughter likes it.”

“Pfft.” Baze flipped over to another page. “Our daughter is fortunate she has married a man who knows how and likes to cook. Ben is free to serve her riced cauliflower if he so wishes, she needs to eat her vegetables and he did state he found far too much processed food for his liking when she moved in.”

“We will need to have fruit and vegetables at the party. But first we must find a place to have the party.” Chirrut sighed, sitting back in his chair. “Which means we need to plan our trip to St Louis via Memphis shortly.”

“I'm not objecting.” He shut the book, “I don't want to bug the kids tonight. We'll call tomorrow morning. Knowing the two of them, they're already asleep, or in the middle of folding laundry.”

*

The rain had started less than thirty minutes after Rey and Ben returned to their loft. What started as a light shower turned into a full on thunderstorm by the time the leftovers were put in the fridge and the abandoned laundry was finished. “I think I ate too much.” She wrapped her hands around her mug of tea as Ben came out of the bedroom. “I always do when it comes to Indian food.”

“It was really good.” He joined her, kissing the top of her head. “and thank you, for dinner.” he rubbed her back in slow circles. “Stuffed?”

“Yeah.” She took a sip of tea. “Good thing they gave us plenty of rice.” she leaned against him. “or I might not have wanted to share it. Pathetic, I know.”

“No it's not.” His hand moved lower, resting on the small of her back. “I think we established on our first day together, we both have things in food we don't like sharing. I'm afraid we don't have much here for dessert.”

“I don't think I could eat another bite.” she closed her eyes as the thunder rumbled outside, the rain increasing tenfold. “We're not in a tornado watch, are we?”

“No. I checked. Lots of rain, lightning, and noise.” Ben kept his lips pressed to her scalp. “No hail, no tornado.” His hand moved down onto her rear. “This okay?”

She grinned, “what are you up to?” She set her mug aside, resting her arms on the counter. “Let me guess, no good.”

“Maybe.” He nuzzled her neck, “do you want me to be?” His hand moved under her skirt, resting on her thigh. “Though I think throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you to bed isn't a good idea with your stomach full.”

“Point.” she ducked her head, “so what are you going to do instead?”

“I have an idea.” His hand moved up and between her legs, rubbing the gusset of her panties. “We don't even have to leave this part of the loft.” He took a step, he was behind her, keeping his other hand on her hip, “you're already soaking.”

Rey groaned, shifting her feet to give him better access. “I think I know what you have planned.” she whimpered as the tip of his middle finger hit her clit. “You're naughty, Fluffy.”

“You like it when I'm naughty.” He husked against her ear, slipping both hands under her skirt and drawing her panties down. “You're just annoyed it's taken you this long to find out about it.” He nuzzled her neck again. “We're both naughty, and I think it's time we made up for the time we've lost.”

She felt the garment fall down around her ankles, and she stepped out of them, kicking them aside as she heard the rustle and clink of Ben undoing his pants. “I think we've skipped naughty and gone straight to kinky.”

“Says the woman with barbells in her nipples.” One of his hands lifted the skirt of her dress and she felt the head of his cock graze her thigh. “We've spent so many days and nights keeping our hands off of each other, and now, we're going to have the opposite problem.” Ben let out a soft groan as he found what he sought and thrust his cock deep inside her cunt. “Not exactly a bad thing.”

“Not at all.” she moved her hands to hold onto the counter as he began to move, slowly dragging his length in and out, letting her adjust to his girth. “Fuck.”

“Yes, Gingersnap, this is called fucking.” He nipped her ear. “Not hurting you, am I?”

She shook her head as his hands settled on her hips, holding her in place as he filled her. “No...” she closed her eyes, gasping as he hit the spot deep inside her. “Unf... Ben...”

“You like this.” His pace started to quicken, “don't you?” He hit the spot again and again, making her whimper.

“Yes.” It came out in a hiss. “Har... harder.” she whimpered as he pulled out completely. “No... don't stop...”

“Ssh.” He took her arms and laid them over the counter so she was holding the far end, half lying on the cold granite. “I don't think either of us want to end up on an episode of Sex Sent Me to the ER.” Ben thrust back inside her cunt, his hips rocking against hers. “There we are.”

Rey moaned as he filled her, the cold stone under her a total opposite of the heat spreading through her. “Yes.” she closed her eyes, letting the world narrow down to the two of them and the place where they were joined. “So good...”

“You're amazing.” He rasped, his hand brushing her hair from her face. “I think we're going to have to start having sleep be clothing optional, or at least, pajama free.” He groaned, “fuck,so good...”

“I'm all for sleeping naked.” she panted, “gonna come...” she whined as his thumb found her clit, pressing against it. “Oh...”

“Come for me, sweetheart.” Ben's voice was soft against her ear. “Want to feel you come on my cock.”

“Shit.” she tipped over the edge, her body trembling as her pleasure washed over her, the sensation of him still moving deep inside her, faster, harder, determined to join her in bliss. Rey swallowed several times as his hips stilled, his cock throbbing with release. “Fuck me so well, Fluffy.”

“Sass.” He chuckled against her hair, and she felt the weight of him leave her back, and felt him slip out of her. “May I interest you in some naked snuggling, or do you want to finish your tea first?” He helped her stand up, rubbing the space between her shoulder-blades, smoothing down her skirt.

Rey reached for her mug and took a large gulp of the contents, “I think I'm good.” she went over to the sink and dumped the rest of her tea. “Besides, we need to brush our teeth, do other pre-bed things... because, adulting.”

“Such fun.” he zipped up his pants, leaving his belt undone as he reached down, picking up her discarded panties, pressing them against his nose. “I'm keeping these.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a plastic baggie, dropping them inside.

“Who's the naughty one now?” she shook her head, folding her arms, looking around the loft. “What exactly are we calling this décor?”

“Millennial Cozy.” He moved to turn out the few lights which were still on. “We have overstuffed chairs and couches and half of the things which don't come from IKEA.” he headed towards the bedroom. “Come on, Gingersnap. The night is still young.”

“If you quote Billy Joel, I'm sleeping in the other bedroom.” She answered, going to check the locks on their door. “Honestly.”

“Says the woman who sings Smashmouth and Elton John in the shower!” he called, laughing. “Do you know how many times I've heard you sing Rocket Man in the past six weeks?”

“Insufferable Fluffy.” she grumbled as she heard the water in the bathroom turn on.

It was amazing how the getting ready for bed routine had become streamlined without her noticing. The fact they could share the bath and move in almost perfect coordination reminded Rey yet again, how ingrained in her own personal bubble she'd spent the past few weeks in. She tossed the face cleaning cloth into the trash and removed the last article of clothing she was wearing – her bra – leaving it on the vanity before turning out the light and padding in the darkness over to the bed.

“Do I really sing Rocket Man all the time?” She asked as she slid into her side of the bed, moving up against Ben and kissing him softly.

“It's your workday song.” He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I think it's adorable.” his hand moved down to cup her rear. “Though a few days after Memorial Day, you chose to sing Inter-planet Janet instead. Here I thought you were too young to know what Schoolhouse Rock was.”

Rey chuckled and kissed him again, tugging on his bottom lip with both of hers. “I'm going to make an effort to not hyper-focus on work and nothing else.” She grinned as his hand moved back up her front, his thumb stroking her nipple. “You know the last time you did that, you made me come so hard I screamed your name.”

Ben grinned. “which is why I'm going to do it again.” He shifted them so she was on her back, tracing her face with the tip of his finger. “Until you come, or are begging for something else.” He covered her mouth with his and she slid her fingers into his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I thought I could finish this story in just eight chapters. Anyway, stay safe, stay healthy, fellow Reylos.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's surprise wedding reception time.

Rose could not believe they had pulled it off. How in the world it had happened, she had no idea. Of course, with Rey constantly working and Ben busy with work, helping for her wedding, and helping get ready for what he thought was an event for Baze and Chirrut, neither of them had any time to seriously snoop. The fact they'd gotten through nine months, including all of the major holidays, and more chances of the surprise getting ruined than seemed possible, she hated to think Ben and Rey were so oblivious.

She adjusted the newest of her hair-bow gifts from Ben, grinning. Sure, the _Captain Marvel_ movie was still a year away, but somehow, someone on Etsy was ahead of the game. The only reason she wasn't wearing her favorite – the Loki bow – was because she knew Rey was wearing green tonight. “You alright in there, Taj?”

“I'm fine.” Her fiance came out of the bathroom, his shirt unbuttoned. “I forgot how bloody small these buttons are.”

“Let me.” she came over and straightened his shirt, smoothing down the wrinkles. “The fact your hands are bandaged makes it all the more harder.”

“I still have all my fingers.” he chuckled as she fastened up his shirt. “Managed to play an entire month without anything worse than the usual bruises, trip over my own feet in the locker room and stress fracture both of my hands.”

She finished with the shirt and went over to the bed, picking up his tie. “Well, I've heard of crazier ways to end up on the disabled list. Few days off your feet, and you'll get back on the ice.” she threaded the tie through his collar. “You always play better after you've had a bit of a rest.”

“I don't like the outlook for what's left of the season.” Taj sighed, “not going to the playoffs for the first time in six years is a real possibility.” He kissed the top of her head as she worked on his tie. “well, if we don't make it, it's the Cardinals job to have an outstanding summer.”

“Stay still or I'm going to mess this up.” Rose let out a breath, “I'm still not certain this surprise reception is going to remain a surprise. It depends on everyone arriving on time, before Ben and Rey.”

“I think Ben and Rey are seeing each other for the first time in about three weeks two floors above us. You remember what they were like on New Year's?” He snickered, “trust me, they're not going downstairs early. It'll be a miracle if they show up on time.”

“Maybe I'm just paranoid.” She adjusted the tie and stepped back. “Okay, can you get your jacket on, or you do need help with it too?”

Armitage glowered at her as he pulled on the rest of his outfit. “Why are you never this nice when I have a cold?”

“Because you whine too much when it's a cold.” she quipped, sitting down on the bed to put her shoes on. “Though you are the only person I know of who likes their orange juice heavy on the pulp.”

“It's good.” he answered, coming over and kissing the top of her head again. “You look lovely, by the way. Though promise me you'll not start any fights if someone thinks you're wearing a _Thor_ bow.”

“ _Thor's_ awesome, I won't mind.” She stood up, kissing his chin. “We need to get downstairs, I need to see if Finn remembered to hold up his end of the bet or not and is actually wearing his costume.”

“I have no idea what went on in your cancer ward at St Jude's, and at this point, I'm afraid to ask.” he ran a hand through his hair as he pocketed his phone and wallet. “although it's not as if he has to dress up as a character from _Game of the Thrones_.”

“Well, my choosing the costume for this party means Ben gets to pick what he wears for mine.” Rose double checked the contents of her clutch purse. “And don't tell me we shouldn't hold Finn accountable for something he said when we were all teenagers. It's what he gets for thinking Ben and I were an item.”

“You two are kind of weird with each other,” He stuck the room key into the pocket of his pants. “and when you're seventeen years old and act the way you two do, it's an easy mistake. I for one, blame all the teen dramas where the focus is who's snogging who, and not something deep, or at least, moderately interesting.”

“Can't have depth from teenagers, the world can't know teenagers think.” She closed the purse with a loud snap. “Well, we can, but the interesting plot is lost in the angst. Case in point, _Shadow Hunters_.”

“Good idea, bad execution. It tends to focus on the snogging to – not like the whole world is in danger from demons.” She picked up her shawl and threw it around her shoulders. “You ready?”

“Yeah.” He came over, setting a hand on the small of her back and the two of them headed out of the room and into the hall. “I must ask this, for what is probably the millionth time – this isn't going to piss Ben off, is it?”

“As far as he knows, this party is for his two father in laws. The fact he didn't figure out the truth will make him more annoyed than angry.” Rose nudged him with her hip. “You're not too sore to dance, are you?”

“Of course not.” He kissed her temple. “Just no swing dancing for the sake of my hands.” He hit the call button for the elevator. “And the team's understanding of why I'm not sitting on the bench, in a suit, watching the game tonight.”

Rose shook her head, “It always looks weird when I see you in a suit at a game. You don't look like one of the players, but a really angry coach.”

“Probably because I want to throw on my skates and fix the problem my teammates can't seem to.” he sighed, rubbing her back in slow circles as the doors dinged open. “Reminds me, is Dameron going to be here tonight?”

“I think so.” she rubbed her temple as they got into the elevator. “I know he received an invitation. I think the fact he managed to keep his mouth shut about the party was another miracle.”

“I think Paige threatened him.” Taj sighed, “quite the character, Poe Dameron.”

“I really envy his ability to not give a shit what people think of him.” She wrapped her arm around Taj's waist. “I should ask how he does it.”

*

Poe already knew the next time he and Rey shared a cockpit, she was going to read him the riot act over not informing her about the party. He thought the whole idea sweet. He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt as the doors of the elevator opened up and he faced a very angry Captain America. Or Sam Wilson. He wasn't sure. He stepped inside, leaning against the other wall. “Someone call you Spangles or did the TSA confiscate your shield?”

“I feel like an idiot.” The man answered, folding his arms as the doors shut. “I should have gone with my first instinct and not gone with the superhero costume choice.” He managed a smile. “Sorry, venting.” He ran a hand through his short hair. “I lost a bet. I didn't think I'd get called on it, given it was years ago, but...”

He frowned, remembering something he'd heard the Tico sisters mention once or twice while he visited their food truck. “Would this bet have something to do with a tiny Vietnamese American girl and her overly large golden retriever of a best friend?”

The man grinned, “ah, so you're here for the party too.” he held out his hand. “Finnegan Stover, friend of Rose and Ben, and the idiot who thought they'd marry each other when we were all teenagers.”

Poe took the man's hand, shaking it. “Poe Dameron, coworker of Rey Îmwe-Malbus Solo.” He paused, “so you're part of what Rose affectionately calls the St Jude's Crew?”

“I am.” Finn's smile grew wider. “We're currently in a debate of which is worse, _My Sister's Keeper_ or _The Fault in Our Stars_.” He shrugged, folding his arms. “The survivors have to stick together, you know?”

“I've never had cancer, but nothing makes the people in my family forget an argument quicker than someone getting sick.” He gave Finn's outfit another look. “So who picked the character?”

“Rose.” He shrugged, “of course, this means when it's time for her wedding in May, Ben gets to pick my character. He might just let me wear this again.”

“From what I know about Ben, he probably would. However, when Rey learns about this, she might try and change his mind.” He shrugged as the elevator pinged and he moved over to Finn's side of the elevator to let more people on. “And you're not in spandex, there's a plus.”

One of the women gave them a double take. “Finn, is that you?”

“Oh, hey Shelby.” Finn answered, “don't worry, they didn't switch themes and make it a costume party.”

“Let me guess, it's a long story, because it's _always_ a long story when it comes to Ben and Rose.” Shelby shook her head, grinning. “who's your friend?”

“Poe Dameron,” Poe offered his hand to the woman. “We just met, a friend of Rey and don't believe a word Jack Frost says about me – even if he does call me Jack Harkness.”

“I understand that reference, which tells me you're trouble.” She answered, laughing. “Who's Jack Frost?”

“Better known to the world at large as Armitage Hux.” he shrugged, “engaged to Rose Tico.”

The little boy on Shelby's other side gaped. “Armitage Hux of the Saint Louis Blues? You _know_ him?”

“Know him?” He grinned. “He's going to be at the party and he owes me a concrete from Ted Drewes.”

*

Ben finished with his cuff-links, wondering for the millionth time if he'd gotten overdressed for the event by wearing a tux as Rey came out of the bath, carrying her shoes. “I didn't bring the wrong ones, did I?”

“No.” She sat down next to him on the foot of the bed to put them on. “And you remembered the right dress.” She kissed his cheek.

“Well, you only have one green dress. It's not likely I'd mistake it for another one, since I'm not colorblind.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Now that you're dressed up, I don't feel quite so weird at how dressed up I look.”

“I have no idea why my dads went full on formal for this.” She finished with her shoes. “my trouble is, now I don't want to get back up on my feet. This is what I get for working all those back to back shifts, the last one ending this morning.” She nudged him with her arm. “So sorry if I don't feel like doing much dancing tonight. Papa said there was going to be dancing.”

“Maybe you'll feel more up to dancing after you've had something to eat.” He gave her a one armed hug. “You're never yourself when you're hungry. I did offer to stop when I picked you up at the airport.”

“I'm starting to think I should have agreed.” She made a face. “I ate some beef jerky, and really, I think I wanted a shower more than I wanted anything else.”

“Shower and a nap.” he chuckled, “and we're sleeping in tomorrow morning. We do not need to race back to Memphis first thing.”

“Yeah, I'm not in a rush to do laundry.” she grimaced, “I do have clean socks at home, don't I?”

“Last time I checked, which was last night when I packed everything, yes.” Ben stood and went over to the garment bag to remove the jacket of his suit. “I'm just glad I could find a cummerbund which matches your dress.” He turned when he heard Rey make a small strangled noise. “Are you okay?”

Rey was gaping at him. “You look so good it should be illegal.”

He blinked, pulling on the suit jacket. “Um, thank you.” he felt his cheeks go pink. “Now I have to find a good way to tell you how beautiful you look.”

She leaned forward on her legs, chuckling. “We are such a mess with each other, aren't we?”

“Stupid about each other, as our parents put it.” he went over to the door, checking the hallway through the peephole. “I think we better head downstairs, didn't you say you wanted to arrive before your dads did?”

“Yeah.” Rey stood as he went over to the bedside table to retrieve his phone and the room key. “Or maybe sneak something from the buffet. I'm just sort of surprised they didn't want to have their anniversary party back in Denver.”

Ben snicked, “Denver in March is unpredictable. But still, forty years together, given the current length of many relationships these days, is remarkable.” he frowned, “what's not remarkable is lousy pockets.”

“Yeah, I don't think the designers had cell phones in mind when they designed dress pants.” she rolled her eyes. “Then again, it takes me forever to find jeans with decent pockets. It's one of the reasons I like cargo shorts.”

“And how.” he stuck his phone into the interior pocket of the suit. “I just want to know how fashion designers forget something as fundamental as pockets. People who don't want functional pockets are weird. I know for a fact Rose had the tailors put pockets into her wedding dress.”

“You've seen her dress?” she tapped her forehead. “duh, you were there when she picked it out.” She retrieved her clutch, tossing her own cell into it, along with a room key. “Which reminds me, have we gotten any new packages in the mail lately?”

“I think the gifts have finally tapered off, but I'm not putting the thank you cards away yet.” he grinned. “I know as soon as I do, we'll get an influx of them.” He went back to the door and checked the hall again, “I'm still trying to find room for everything, I think we may need to do some spring cleaning sometime in the near future.” He paused, “or at least, get the kitchen better organized. I'm starting to see the purpose of having an actual pantry.”

Rey turned out all the lights but the one in the bathroom. “and therein lies the trap which is an open concept. Lovely sight lines, storage space is drastically reduced.” she frowned. “I do not want to move to a house.”

“Me neither. I don't want to take care of a lawn and I like having someone to do the other forms of maintenance.” they went out into the hall and headed for the elevators. “Though a townhouse does offer some appeal.”

“Proper sized kitchen, each of us having our own closets...” she sighed, “something else to think about. Maybe just a bigger loft.”

“If you want me to start checking Zillow, just make a list of things you'd like. Personally, I wouldn't mind having a bigger kitchen.” He kept his hand on the small of her back, kissing her forehead. “You look incredible.”

“Thank you.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “So do you.” They reached the elevators.

*

Han had no idea how a hundred some odd people could be in a room this size and not make a ton of noise. Or rather, how this many people could have known about the surprise wedding reception and not one of them, had things slip. Of course, part of it was helped by the fact of the assembled crowd, the ones who spoke to Rey and Ben on a weekly or even monthly basis fell below fifteen, ten, if you counted the parents.

“I think I've figured out what's off about the decorations.” Leia let out a breath, “it's the lack of a color scheme.”

“It's nice.” Baze stated, “I'm impressed you made all the centerpieces with fake flowers. Did you clear out every Michael's in Raleigh?” He shook his head. “But the fact they're artificial means no one's going to have an allergy attack.”

“Right after we decided to do this, the summer stuff went on clearance.” She grinned, “they were put together by three art students who had come to my office asking if there was anything they could do for extra credit.” She arranged one of the last flowers as they made their way through the ballroom. “The real trick was getting them from Raleigh to here.”

“I think the only time you weren't white knuckling the steering wheel on the interstate was through construction zones.” Han laughed, rubbing her back. “Now, as for getting them back to North Carolina, we can afford to have some fall over, if we can get them all back in the car.”

“We'll take some.” Chirrut offered, “we can worry about such things tomorrow.” He smiled, “because we have better things to focus on this evening.” They made their way around the last row of tables before the doors.

“Agreed.” Leia said, nodding at Jyn and Cassian, who were talking to Rose and Taj.

“Is there a reason that one man is dressed as Captain America?” Baze interjected. “You were talking to him a moment ago, Chirrut.”

“It's a long story, and he hadn't finished it when you came to take my elbow.” Chirrut chuckled, “but quite the amusing one, from what he was telling me.”

“The young man in question is Finn Stover.” Leia remarked, looking over her shoulder. “He's taller than the last time I saw him.”

“The kids are either going to hate us or love us for this.” Han said to Baze as they took up their positions in front of the closed doors. “Good thing we decided not to split the sides up.”

“They'll know something is wrong by the doors.” Baze answered as the lights flickered twice and the chatter stopped. “I can't believe they haven't figured it out.”

“I think the bigger miracle is that no one slipped up and told them.” Leia offered, “I feel like Poe and Paige need an extra piece of cake for keeping quiet. They were my number one suspects.”

“This is what we get for having children who know not to poke about,” Chirrut replied, adjusting his hold on Thor's harness. “and when the involved parties all live in a different state.”

Han snickered as a shushing noise went through the room. “This place isn't full of teachers, no.”

“Behave.” Leia poked him. “Good thing we told the photographer not to ambush them. Of course, with all the cellphones, their faces are going to be all over Facebook and Instagram before the night is out.”

The door opened a crack and he heard Rey speak. “Are you sure this is right? The doors are closed. We might walk into the wrong party.”

“The marquee said Ballroom C, and this is C.” Ben answered, pushing the door open wider, “though it is quiet, maybe we're the first...” the two of them stepped into the room.

“SURPRISE!” The whole crowd cried as one.

“No!” Rey shrieked and turned to Ben, pressing her face against his chest, grabbing a hold of his suit jacket and trying, rather adorably, to hide under it.

“Uh...” Ben put his arms around her, taking in the crowd, making the connection quickly, and, rather than try and make the girl show her face, lifted her up a few inches and carried her the distance between them and where their parents stood. “Wow.”

A chorus of laughter went around the room.

“Mean!” Rey declared from under Ben's jacket. “Mean, mean mean!”

“I'm not facing these people alone, Gingersnap. Our parents have forgotten we're in March, and there's half a dozen family holidays left in the year, plenty of time to plot revenge.” He chuckled. “Besides, there's cake.”

“Oh, come now...” Baze stepped forward, “everyone wants to see you, xiǎo hǔ, they've come a long way to celebrate, and if you don't come out of there, I'm giving your husband your share of the cake.”

“Ha!” Han answered, “if you think those two aren't going to shove large chunks of cake into each other's mouths, you haven't been paying attention.”

Rey relinquished her hold on Ben's suit. “Damn straight we are!”

Everyone laughed, and the celebration truly began.

*

From her chair near the dance floor, Rey decided it was a damn good thing the show had not given her and Ben a formal wedding last year. One look at her husband in a tux had gone straight to the part of her brain she spent a good deal of time silencing and all she wanted to do was climb the man like a tree. It was nothing short of a miracle she'd allowed the two of them to leave their room upstairs.

Of course, she could march out onto the dance floor and drag Ben away and find a closet or a bathroom for some serious nookie, but this was their party, she could wait a little longer – and admire the view. Watching him, Rose, and around a dozen other people whose names she couldn't remember dance around to 'Smells Like Nirvana' was sort of fun. All the people out on the dance floor were all cancer survivors – although not all of them were from the same ward as Rose and Ben.

She popped another toasted ravioli in her mouth as Armitage Hux came over and joined her at the table, carrying his own plate of fried food. “There is something either strange or horrifically wrong about this song being danced to while in formal attire. Flannel, yes – not suits and dresses.”

Rey swallowed, “well, maybe it's a nostalgia thing.” she picked up her glass of soda. “Granted, you think they'd have gone with the original, and not the parody, but at least it's not some over-sentimental piece of garbage.”

Taj chuckled, shaking his head. “Point. Rose and I are still trying to pick a song for our first dance, and since I'm on the disabled list,” he held up his bandaged hands, “I think it's time to get everything finalized.” He picked up his fork and stabbed a ravioli. “How's work?”

“Work's great, another three hundred hours in the air, and I make captain.” she grinned, “so about this time next month.” She looked back towards the dance floor. “And it's a good thing I have pain killers in my purse, I'm pretty sure Ben's going to have a headache before the night's over.”

“I think most everyone here is.” Taj rubbed his temple as the music came to an end. “and congratulations on almost making captain.” the group on the dance floor broke up as the music changed to something much softer. “Excuse me.” He stood and headed for the floor, catching Rose's hand and pulling her into his arms.

“Those two are so adorable.” She ate another bite of ravioli as Ben and Dad came over to the table. “Don't even think of taking my food from me. I've already had about half a dozen people stop me from eating, and it's wretched.”

“I know better.” Ben answered, kissing her cheek. “We'll have a dance or two after you finish your dinner.” he sighed and sat down. “I told her we should have stopped on the way to the hotel for her to have some lunch. Nor did she want me to order pizza when we got here and checked in. It'd have arrived while you were in the shower.”

“I was counting on a small feast at the party,” Rey turned to Baze. “Which was supposed to be for you and Papa.” she shoved the last of her ravioli into her mouth.

“You should thank your lucky stars we didn't go overboard with all this nonsense.” He answered, grinned. “besides, after you and Ben made a registry list back in September, you more or less gave us permission.”

“We don't know when they started this, but I know we had to go through Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and the Chinese New Year, and they never let the cat out of the bag.” Ben took a drink of water, “and we did sort of spring our marriage on them. I'd say turnabout is fair play.”

She tapped her fingers against the table, picking up a strawberry. “you know, we still have no idea what happened to the other two couples. When they sweep things under the rug, they really sweep things under the rug.” She frowned, “or did they do something and I missed it because of work?” she bit into the fruit.

“No, you didn't miss anything.” Ben answered, “though you make a good point. We'll find out whenever reality shows gone wrong becomes a show, or we decide to send in an application for the Amazing Race.”

“You two.” Dad shook his head, taking a sip of water. “forget the reality shows and create a YouTube channel. They have those for everything these days.”

“You did get a nice vlogging camera from what's their name, Ben. You should use it, instead of letting it sit in the box.” She finished the berry as the rest of the parents came over to the table.

*

Baze rested his face on his hand, watching the few couples still on the dance floor. Most notably, Ben and Rey. Given their positioning, with her resting against him, her eyes closed, and Ben's arms around Rey's waist – Baze knew his daughter was asleep – and Ben was doing his best to pretend she was simply resting her eyes. “Crazy kids.” He took a drink of soda as Chirrut came over to the table. “I'm not dancing again. My knees refuse.”

“I wasn't going to ask.” He replied, setting Thor's harness down. “We have had quite the day.” He smiled, “and you shouldn't slouch.”

“I have to slouch so you have something to harp on me about. I never make a mess, I take out the trash, and I don't make foods you hate. You're a lucky man, Chirrut.” He sighed and sat up, putting Chirrut's drink near his hand. “And our daughter would agree with me.”

“Our daughter, while delighted with this gathering, is still plotting her revenge.” He wrapped his hands around the glass. “And she has a co-conspirator.” He took a sip of water. “If Benjamin thinks he can talk her out of it...”

“Oh, hogwash.” Baze snorted, taking another drink of soda. “It's not as if we threw this as a birthday party for her alone. I believe our son in law quite enjoyed the surprise. When Rey takes her revenge, it won't be this year, or possibly the next – she, exactly as we raised her, will strike when we least expect it.”

“And we will laugh and have no one but ourselves to blame.” He had a small sip of water, grimacing slightly. “Much of the crowd has headed upstairs for the night. Perhaps we should become one of their number.”

“I'm not ready to go yet.” He didn't look up from his glass. “It feels like it would be bad form to leave. Besides, I want to see how Ben gets Rey off the dance floor.”

“Did she fall asleep?” Chirrut clucked his tongue. “I'm not surprised, she had five consecutive days of work, back and forth across nearly every time zone in the country, it's a miracle she and Ben made it downstairs in the first place.” He frowned, “I suspect she'll sleep in the car back to Memphis too. It's what, a four hour drive?”

“With the traffic, I'd say it's closer to five. Of course, neither city has a football team, and all the basketball is being played on the other side of the state.” Baze ran a hand through his hair. “Something wrong with your water?”

“It doesn't taste right.” he smiled, “as you know, home is where the water tastes right. The water here tastes almost wrong.”

“Let's blame the difference between the Mississippi River and a mountain spring.” he frowned, “how is it we don't know where our water source at home is and we're both teachers?”

“Because you teach history and I teach music. We should ask Bodhi when we return to Denver. He teaches the third graders.” Chirrut chuckled, “it seems a thing a third grade teacher would know.”

“Are we interrupting anything? Leia stood over the table, along with Han.

“Not at all.” Chirrut answered as the other couple sat down, both of them holding cups of coffee. “We were expressing our confusion at not knowing where the water at home comes from.”

“You turn on the tap, it's there.” Han quipped. “I just know ours doesn't come from the ocean.”

“The water here does taste weird.” Leia remarked, “which is why I always try to have a bottle of water when I travel for when I brush my teeth.” She took a drink of coffee. “Now, will Ben wake Rey up, or has the deejay also noticed she's asleep and will keep playing slow songs?”

“Good thing the photographer left.” Han remarked as they watched Rose put her camera away in her purse. “Well, the professional one.”

“I heard you!” Rose snapped as she and Taj came over to the table. “We're going to head upstairs. We've had about enough fun as we can manage for one night.”

“Thank you again, for your help in all this, Rose.” Leia stood and gave the girl a hug. “And we'll see you in May.” She turned to Taj. “Take care of your hands, young man, or Rose will never let you hear the end of it if you have battered hands in the photos of the wedding.”

“Take care of my hands, she says.” Taj gave the woman a one armed hug. “It was nice meeting you, Baze, Chirrut.”

“It was nice meeting you as well, Armitage.” Baze answered, noticing the odd look on the young man's face. “What's wrong?”

“Um, Mr Chirrut? May I please pet your dog?” His cheeks went slightly pink. “I know, I'm not supposed to bother service animals, but...”

“You asked.” Chirrut smiled, “few people would be so considerate.” He reached down and rubbed Thor's head, the dog sitting up expectantly. “Of course you may.”

The young man crouched down and let the dog smell his fingers before giving the animal a rub behind the ears, a delighted look coming to his face as Thor got to his feet and licked Taj's cheeks. “What a good boy you are.”

Rose gave Baze a bemused smile. “His lease won't allow pets.”

“I think it's sweet.” Chirrut replied, “Thor is the best dog.”

“He is.” Taj answered, reluctantly standing up and putting arm around Rose. “Again, thank you.”

“Good night, Leia, Han.” Rose gave them a small wave and the pair headed off.

“So is Armitage the voice of reason in the group?” Chirrut asked.

“Poe Dameron, if you break Finn's heart, I'll arrange for Rey to shove you out of an airlock at ten thousand feet and make it look like an accident!” Rose's voice carried from the far end of the room.

“You know she means it, Jack Harkness.” Taj added.

Han chuckled, “no, the voice of reason is Ben. Which is terrifying.”

*

“I cannot believe I fell asleep on the dance floor.” Rey took off her shoes, groaning. “and you carried on like nothing was wrong for half an hour.” She turned towards Ben, who was carefully hanging up his tux. “Seriously.”

“You were comfortable and you weren't on my feet.” He smiled. “And you weren't snoring, so I didn't see any harm. Besides, it was better if I kept on with the dancing instead of trying to wake you up. Fortunately, the deejay was nice enough to play a bunch of slow songs, and no one else seemed to mind. I know Jyn and Cassian certainly didn't.”

She fell back on the bed, grimacing. “Maybe I missed things while I was asleep.” She covered her eyes with her arm. “I'm probably going to fall asleep in the car on the way home.' She heard a thump as he sat down next to her.

“You've had a hellish week at work.” He answered and she felt his hand on her leg, pulling down her thigh-high socks. “What's with the lace?”

“If I was going to get all glammed up, I figured my socks needed to match.” she sighed, “even with my nap, I think all I want to do now is sleep.”

“I'm not objecting.” he snickered as he pulled down the other stocking. “Besides, remember what we've agreed about when it comes to hotel beds?”

“Yeah.” She gave him a worn smile as she lowered her arm, “this was a lot of fun. Even if I did sort of freak out at first. I wasn't exactly prepared for the kind of surprise – I mean...” she sighed, “this is what we get for the way we got married.” She rolled over, “would you unzip me, please?”

“Sure, Gingersnap.” Ben replied and she felt him press a kiss to her butterfly tattoo as he drew down the zipper. “Reminds me, I rolled the coins in our honeymoon jar this past week. We have a little over three hundred dollars saved.”

“Which is both remarkable and terrible.” She got up from the bed, slipping out of her dress and taking it over to the garment bag. “At this rate, we'll go to Hawaii in twenty-twenty.”

“More like twenty-nineteen.” He grinned, “I'm going to give up my holidays to Maine, and can contribute what I'd spend on the trip to the fund. I don't think it's fair for me to go and leave you to work your ass off and come home to dinner in Tupperware containers.”

“I don't mind.” she changed into a loose pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. “Besides, when you went this past October, you made sure to just have a half gallon of milk with a far enough expiration date it wouldn't matter if I drank all of it or not.”

“Still...” he sighed, getting up from the bed and taking off his dress shirt. “Maybe it seems like the jar should have held more than three hundred dollars, but there were a lot of pennies.”

“Yeah.” she covered a yawn, heading over to the bathroom. “but you know, given when we started saving, having what we do is pretty remarkable.” she paused, “I think I'm more interested in getting some more sleep than anything else.” she grimaced. “maybe if I'd had a day to rest I could have enjoyed this more.”

“You and I both thought we were going to a party for your dads, and therefore, thought you probably expected the shindig to die about two hours earlier.” He came over and kissed the top of her head. “Why don't we finish getting ready for bed and have a good old fashioned snuggle?”

“We haven't had a good snuggle in forever, Fluffy.” She replied, giving him a one armed hug. “We stay so busy.” she got her toothbrush out of her case. “Which reminds me, has your hand recovered from the severe writing cramp you got addressing all those envelopes for Rose?”

“Yes.” He answered, going back across the room to change into his own pajamas. “And we're not plotting our revenge until we've both had a good, long sleep. We're both rubbish when we're tired.”

She kept her focus on brushing her teeth as she heard Ben moving around behind her. She hadn't entirely meant what she said when the crowd had surprised them downstairs. Not entirely. She rinsed off her toothbrush and washed her face, sighing. “What if our revenge is that we don't plot anything?”

“Passive aggressive.” Ben replied, coming over to join her at the sink, digging in his own case. “I like it. We don't have to make any decisions any time soon.”

Rey stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I'll let you finish over here.” She headed out into the room, picking up her discarded clothes. Better to have everything ready to go in the morning than have to run around – even in her line of work, she hated rushing about. “Wonder what breakfast is like in this hotel.”

“Breakfast buffet, I asked.” He answered around a mouthful of toothpaste.

“It's a well established fact breakfast always tastes better when someone else makes it.” she chuckled, sitting down on the bed, setting her phone alarm. “Even when it's a bowl of cereal.”

He turned out the light, shaking his head. “Nope. I've eaten enough bowls of oatmeal to disprove the notion.” He groaned as he sat down. “Although it was hospital food. So we'll put it as true with exceptions.”

“You look about as tired as I feel.” Rey turned out the light on her side and settled into bed, “you're not sick or anything, are you?”

Ben chuckled, putting out the other light and snuggling up behind her. “No, I'm not sick, went to the doctor this past Wednesday, cancer's still gone, blood pressure is normal, no sign of pre-diabetes.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I like your new haircut.”

She grinned, “it's because it exposed the part of my neck you really love kissing, isn't it?” she let out a tiny shriek as he repeated the gesture. “Ben!”

“I confirm your answer and you get indignant, Gingersnap.” He tutted, the arm around her tightening. “I may have to put you in time out when we get home.”

“Insufferable Fluffy.” She snickered into her pillow as he adjusted the blankets around them. “Please tell me we're not in for a freak March snowstorm.”

“Some rain, no snow, not cold enough.” He let out a contented sound. “Sleep time.”

She turned over so she could tuck her head under his chin. “No objections from me.” she smiled. “You still smell like cucumber melon.”

“Must be the lotion my wife gave me for Valentine's Day as a joke.” Ben chuckled, kissing her forehead. “Love you.”

She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “Love you too.”

Outside, it began to rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ted Drewes, for those of you lovely people who've never visited St. Louis, is a frozen custard chain - a concrete is similar to a Dairy Queen blizzard made with custard instead of soft serve. And yes, Drewes is better.
> 
> Wow. I can finish fics. I can finish fics in a single year. Granted, the first part of this was already written and only needed some minor editing, but still...
> 
> Thank you, dear readers, for reading, commenting, and kudoing this story. I really do appreciate them all.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are toast with butter! 
> 
> This story updates on Saturdays.


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